Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

A Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe from Mississippi

Mississippi Pot Roast, famously attributed to Robin Chatman, is a dish that has taken the culinary world by storm. It's the epitome of comfort food – tender, succulent meat paired with a rich, savory gravy that melts in your mouth with each bite. This dish has a fascinating origin story, a blend of tradition, creativity, and the ingenuity of home cooking.

Robin Chatman, a home cook from Ripley, Mississippi, is credited with inventing this iconic recipe. Legend has it that she stumbled upon the recipe while experimenting in her kitchen, trying to create a dish that would please her family's discerning palates. Little did she know that her creation would become a sensation, capturing the hearts and taste buds of people nationwide.

What's In It?

At its core, Mississippi Pot Roast is a simple yet magical combination of ingredients. It typically consists of a beef roast, such as chuck or shoulder, seasoned with ranch dressing mix, au jus gravy mix, pepperoncini peppers, and butter. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity—just a handful of ingredients come together to create something truly extraordinary.

Making Mississippi Pot Roast is almost as delightful as the taste itself. The meat is seared to perfection, locking in its natural juices and flavors. Then, it's placed in a slow cooker with the seasoning mixes, pepperoncini peppers, and a generous amount of butter. As it simmers low and slow, the meat becomes incredibly tender, soaking up all the flavors of the seasoning and peppers.

What Makes It So Different?

What sets Mississippi Pot Roast apart is its unique combination of flavors. The tangy kick from the pepperoncini peppers cuts through the richness of the meat and butter, creating a perfect balance of savory and spicy. The ranch dressing mix adds depth and hints of herbaceousness, while the au jus gravy mix lends the sauce a rich, velvety texture.

One of the reasons Mississippi Pot Roast has become so beloved is its versatility. It's a dish that can be enjoyed in countless ways—served over mashed potatoes, nestled in a sandwich, or even enjoyed on its own with a side of crusty bread to soak up the delicious gravy. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, one thing is for certain—each bite is a taste of home, a reminder of the warmth and comfort of family gatherings and shared meals.

How Did It Become So Famous?

Mississippi Pot Roast became famous primarily through word of mouth and the power of social media. While the exact timeline may vary, the dish started gaining popularity in the early to mid-2000s, with its rise to fame accelerating in the age of digital sharing.

One key factor in its widespread popularity is its simplicity. The recipe's easy preparation and minimal ingredients make it accessible to home cooks of all skill levels. As people began trying it and sharing their experiences, Mississippi Pot Roast quickly gained a reputation as a fail-proof crowd-pleaser.

Social media platforms played a significant role in amplifying its fame. Home cooks and food enthusiasts shared their versions of the recipe on blogs, forums, and recipe-sharing websites. The dish's visual appeal, with its tender meat and rich gravy, made it a popular subject for food photography, further spreading its allure across social media feeds.

Additionally, Mississippi Pot Roast gained traction through its inclusion in cookbooks, food magazines, and television cooking shows. Celebrity chefs and food personalities featured the recipe, praising its flavor and simplicity, which helped introduce it to a wider audience.

Another contributing factor to its fame is its versatility. Mississippi Pot Roast can be customized to suit various tastes and dietary preferences. Home cooks have experimented with different cuts of meat, spice levels, and additional ingredients, making the recipe adaptable to diverse culinary preferences.

Furthermore, the dish's Southern roots added to its charm. The idea of a comforting pot roast originating from Mississippi, a state known for its rich culinary heritage, added a layer of authenticity and nostalgia that resonated with many people.

Robin Chapman's Initial Ingredients

You may not like the sound of some of these ingredients. I know I didn't when I first read them but keep reading. I'll be offering Sam's alternative recipe with a couple of my changes that may be more palatable to you.

Ms. Chapman's original recipe starts with a beef chuck roast, adds a packet of dry ranch dressing mix on top of the meat, then a packet of dry "au jus" gravy, a stick of butter, and a few pepperoncini peppers. You can typically find these peppers in most supermarkets in the pickles section.

This all goes into the slow cooker, which cooks for hours until the meat becomes so tender you can shred it with a couple of forks. When the NY Times author tried the recipe with these ingredients, he liked the results but not all the salt and artificial everything, so he came up with the recipe below, which I adapted just a little to pump up the flavor and pump out some of the salt and monosodium glutamate.

One of my changes was adding baby-cut carrots for the last hour because everyone in our house loves them.

Mississippi Pot Roast

📖 Recipe

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Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

A Crock Pot Recipe to Delight Your Family

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time8 hours hrs

Total Time8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot roast

Servings: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 boneless chuck roast 3 to 4 pounds
• 2 teaspoons salt plus more for seasoning at the end
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning at the end
• all-purpose flour to sprinkle onto the meat
• 3 tablespoons oil vegetable or canola oil
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 10 pepperoncini peppers
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 12 - 24 baby-cut carrots Optional
• parsley chopped for garnish

Instructions

• Start by gathering and prepping all the ingredients.
• Season the chuck roast with the salt and pepper and just before you start browning the meat, sprinkle some flour over the roast and rub into the flesh.

  The flour will help make a base for the sauce and replace the packet of dry gravy mix.
• Heat a fry pan big enough to hold the chuck roast and when hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, brown the chuck on all sides to create a nice sear.

  I like to brown most meats before slow cooking for a variety of reasons.

  One, I think it gives the meat a better appearance. In this recipe, we're going to shred the meat at the end so it doesn't matter too much.

  Two, I think searing the meat adds flavor to the end results.

  And third, by adding flour to the meat and then browning helps create a better base for making a rich sauce.
• Remove the meat from the pan and transfer to a slow cooker or crock-pot. Add the ½ stick of butter and then the pepperoncini peppers. Cover and set the slow cooker to low.

Make the Dressing

• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill and paprika with a whisk. Keep whisking to emulsify (blend all the ingredients so they hold together).

  Add this mixture to the slow cooker, cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours until the meat is fork tender.
• For the last hour of cooking, add the carrots. (Optional)
• Using a couple of forks, shred the meat while combining with the liquids in the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt & pepper.
• When serving, top with a little chopped parsley for garnish.
• Serve the shredded Mississippi Roast with mashed or roasted potatoes, egg noodles or all by itself.

  And I think you'll find this dish tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.

Notes

The cooking time can range from 6 - 8 hours depending on your slow cooker so after 6 hours, start checking the meat for tenderness.

Next time I make this recipe, I'm going to add a tablespoon of demi glace to give the sauce some extra flavor and create a base.