Sunday Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
The Best Sunday Pot Roast Recipe for a Crowd
Sunday pot roast is one of those meals that smells like home the minute it hits the Dutch oven. I’ve been making this Sunday pot roast for years, and y’all — there is nothing quite like walking through the door after church to a house that smells like a slow-cooked roast has been waiting on you all afternoon. A chuck roast, a pile of carrots and potatoes, a generous hand with Cavender’s, and three hours later dinner is on the table and everybody is heading back for seconds.
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Watch me make my Sunday pot roast from start to finish — or scroll down for the full printable recipe card.
Featured Tools & Ingredients
- Quality Enameled Dutch Oven: The Lodge Essential Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven gives you all the...
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• The Island Spice Red Lodge that lives on my stove. Pot roast, soups, stews, bread — if it's slow and comforting, it starts here.
- ESSENTIAL KITCHEN TOOL: 2 piece set includes 1-cup, and 2-cup, measuring cups that are perfect for...
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• The measuring cups I reach for to build the gravy. Two to three cups of those gorgeous pan drippings whisked into a butter-and-flour roux — these make the measure foolproof.
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- A tantalizing taste treat
• My one and only seasoning for Sunday pot roast. I put it on the roast generously and never measure — and somehow it comes out perfect every single time.
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Sunday Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Start CookingIngredients
- 3 lb Chuck Roast Eye of Round Roast
- 1 lb carrots cut in chunks
- 4-6 russet potatoes cut in thirds
- 1 onion
- Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning to taste
- Salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups pot roast drippings
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon beef base
Don’t Want to Plan? I Got You.Every Saturday I share a full week of dinners, sides, and a dessert — with the grocery list already done. Come grab this week’s Weekly Meal Plans!Equipment
Method Start Cooking
- Layer the ingredients in a large Dutch oven.
- First put the roast in, generously seasoned with Cavenders Greek seasoning.
- Layer carrots around the bottom of pan around the roast.
- Add potatoes on top of carrots.
- Place onions on top of roast.
- Pour water into side of the pot so as not to remove seasoning from roast.
- Cook covered at 350 for 3 hours.
- In. medium saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium/high heat
- Once the butter is melted, add in the flour
- Whisk immediately to incorporate the flour to the butter
- Let flour cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute
- Add in 2 cups of drippings. You can supplement hot water if you don't have 2 full cups of drippings
- Add in the beef bouillon
- Whisk until all smooth
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Reduce heat to simmer, continuing to stir, until ready to serve
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Four Weeks of Family-Friendly FoodWhen people gather, I cook. Four weeks of the dinners my crowd asks for — planned, tested, and shopped for. Come see what’s in the cookbook →Why This Sunday Pot Roast Works
As a mom of five and a preacher’s wife, Sunday dinner is sacred in our home. Our table is almost always full — anywhere from 7 to 13 people on any given Sunday — and this Sunday pot roast never lets me down. It feeds a crowd beautifully, it’s incredibly simple to put together, and every single person at the table goes back for seconds.
The secret to this Sunday pot roast is the seasoning. Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning is an absolute game changer — it adds a depth of flavor that you just can’t get from salt and pepper alone. I generously coat the chuck roast before it goes into the Dutch oven , and the results are incredible every single time.
A chuck roast is my go-to for this recipe — it gives you that rich, fall-apart tenderness that everyone loves after three hours in the Dutch oven. If you want leaner and a little more budget-friendly, an eye of round roast works too. Either way, once it’s surrounded by carrots, potatoes, and onions and spending the afternoon in the oven, you’ll have a Sunday dinner that brings everyone to the table. A good Dutch oven makes all the difference here. And those World’s Best Green Beans? They are the stuff of legend in our house. Do not skip them.
Whether you’re feeding your family on a quiet Sunday or hosting a crowd after church, this recipe is for you. It’s simple, it’s hearty, and it never fails. I hope it becomes a staple at your table just like it has at ours. Serve it with crusty bread and you have a complete meal that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
A Few Things That Make Sunday Pot Roast Even Easier
- Skip the sear. I know, every cooking show tells you to brown the roast first. But on a Sunday morning before church, I am not standing at the stove with a splattering pan. I season generously with Cavender’s, lay the roast in the Dutch oven with the vegetables, cover it, and walk away. Three hours later, nobody has ever asked me why I skipped the sear.
- Cut the carrots and potatoes BIG. Whole carrots chopped into big chunks (not baby carrots, they’ll go to mush), and russet potatoes quartered. Big pieces hold up to three hours in the oven and soak up all that gravy without falling apart.
- Save those pan drippings — that’s your gravy. Two to three cups of drippings, whisked into a butter-and-flour roux, and you’ve got the best gravy of your life. My secret add-in is a tablespoon of beef bouillon for that deep beefy flavor. Salt and pepper to taste and you’re done.
- Serve it with the World’s Best Green Beans. Sweet, savory, salty, and the side my family fights over — I make them on the stovetop while the roast finishes. Do not skip them.
- Plan for leftovers — they’re a gift. Shred whatever’s left, stir it into the leftover gravy, and you’ve got three more dinners that week: over the leftover potatoes, piled on toasted hoagie rolls for mock Philly cheesesteaks, or scooped into warmed tortillas with cheese for the easiest beef tacos you’ve ever made.
Sunday Pot Roast FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
What temperature and how long do I cook Sunday pot roast?
I cook my Sunday pot roast at 350°F for about 3 hours, covered, in a Dutch oven. A 3-4 pound chuck roast will be fall-apart tender in that time, and the vegetables will be perfectly done without turning to mush. For food safety, the USDA says beef roasts need to reach a minimum internal temperature of 145°F with a 3-minute rest — but for pot roast, you’re aiming way past that into the 195-205°F range, where the connective tissue breaks down and the meat shreds with a fork. Trust the fork test more than the thermometer on this one.
Do I need to sear the chuck roast first?
I don’t. And I’ll tell you why — on a Sunday morning before church, I am not standing at the stove with a hot pan and splattering oil. I season the roast generously with Cavender’s, lay it in the bottom of the Dutch oven surrounded by the vegetables, cover it, and put it in the oven. Searing adds a little more depth, and if you have the time go for it. But after three hours in a covered Dutch oven with plenty of seasoning, nobody has ever pushed back from my table saying, “Stephanie, this needed a sear.” It’s excellent without that step.
When do I add the carrots and potatoes so they don’t get mushy?
I put mine in at the start, around the chuck roast, for the full 3 hours at 325°F. The key is cutting them big — I use whole carrots chopped into big chunks (not baby carrots, they get too soft) and quarter my russet potatoes. Big pieces hold up to the long cook and soak up all that gravy without falling apart. If you’re nervous about texture, you can hold the potatoes back and add them at the 90-minute mark, but I’ve never had a problem with mush when I cut them chunky.
Is there gravy with this Sunday pot roast?
Yes, but it doesn’t make itself. As the chuck roast cooks, it releases juices that mix with the water and the Cavender’s seasoning to create the most incredible pan drippings you’ll ever see. I take about two to three cups of the drippings and add it to a butter and flour roux. Simmer until it thickens. If you want my super secret add-in, I add one tablespoon of beef bouillon to my gravy for a really beefy deep flavor. Then add salt and pepper to taste. This gravy is gold.
How do I slice Sunday pot roast after it’s done?
Honestly? I don’t slice it. A properly cooked chuck roast is so tender you’ll fork-shred it and serve it in pulled-apart pieces onto each plate — that’s how I do it and that’s how my family likes it. If you want cleaner slices, let the roast rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes after it comes out of the Dutch oven (resting is important — it keeps the juices in the meat instead of running onto the cutting board), then slice against the grain in thick pieces. Against the grain is the key. Cut the other way and you’ll wonder why your pot roast is chewy.
Can I make Sunday pot roast in a slow cooker instead of the Dutch oven?
Absolutely. I love the Dutch oven version because I can get it in the oven before church and come home to dinner, but the slow cooker works beautifully for the same reason. Same chuck roast, same carrots and potatoes and onions, same generous hand with Cavender’s — cook it on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. My favorite 7-quart slow cooker handles this easily for a crowd. The texture comes out slightly different (a little moister because it’s a sealed environment) but the flavor is every bit as good.
What do I do with leftover Sunday pot roast?
Leftover Sunday pot roast is a gift. I shred whatever’s left, stir it into the leftover gravy, and we eat it three ways that week: over the leftover potatoes with a little extra gravy, piled onto toasted hoagie rolls with peppers and onions for a mock Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, and scooped into warmed tortillas with cheese and onions for the easiest beef tacos you’ve ever made. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It also freezes well — shredded, with a little gravy, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
🛒 Complete Shopping List
Everything you need to make this Sunday Pot Roast — click any item to shop on Amazon.
Ingredients
Equipment
More Sunday Dinner Favorites for a Crowd
- 4 Ingredient No-Peek Chicken and Rice — another Sunday dinner staple that practically makes itself
- Crock Pot Pork Chops — the two-ingredient dinner my family asks for on repeat
- Daddy’s Famous Crockpot Chili — slow cooker perfection with a secret ingredient everyone asks about
- World’s Best Green Beans — the sweet, savory side my family fights over, and the one to serve right alongside this roast
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Sunday Pot Roast — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.