1976 The Junior League of Grand Rapids *Dillicious* Pot Roast~in the Slow Cooker

I've been eating this pot roast recipe since I was a child!  It's such a flavorful spin on traditional pot roast, that it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  The recipe was originally written for a Dutch oven, but fitting more convenient modern cooking, I've converted it to the slow cooker.  If you grew up in Western Michigan, chances are that you, or most likely your mother, has a copy of the infamous Grand Rapids Junior League Cookbook that put Dillicious Pot Roast on family dinner tables.  This cookbook has a forward by Betty Ford and contains a treasure of Midwestern recipes.   Despite years of groveling, my mother refuses to give me her copy, so after MANY failed attempts, I finally scored my own on ebay.  Don't ask me what I paid...I got so frustrated one day that I set the sniper for a ridiculous amount, closed my eyes and hit "submit." Grin.

The key to any great pot roast is to buy the right cut of meat.  Get the wrong roast and you'll end up with a tough, chewy meal that will turn your nose to pot roast indefinitely.  I buy a boneless beef chuck pot roast.  It cooks up tender, juicy and falling apart on my fork. ( A great pot roast melts in your mouth, it does not stick to your teeth.)   If you are not sure what cut of meat you'll need, be sure to ask the butcher for help. 


Okay, so here we go...
Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Put on paper towel to drain and then crumble.  Reserve bacon drippings in pan.


To minimize messy grease splatters I use one of these splatter screens. This makes stove top clean up so much easier.


Sprinkle pot roast with Lemon Pepper on both sides.


Brown both sides of roast in the reserved bacon drippings and then lay roast in the bottom of the crock pot.  Drizzle 1or 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings over the top of roast.


Combine Golden mushroom soup, chopped dill pickles and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.


Spread sauce over browned pot roast in crock pot.  Set your crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours.


Serve over rice, buttered noodles or potatoes.  Crumbled reserved bacon and sprinkle over the top.


Now this is comfort food! 

Dillicious Pot Roast
By Maureen O'Donovan
*Adapted for the slow cooker from the 1976 Junior League of Grand Rapids Cookbook by me.

5 slices bacon
1 tsp. lemon-pepper
3 to 4lbs. beef pot roast
1 can (10.5oz) Golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook bacon in a skillet till crisp.  Crumble and save for serving time.  Sprinkle both sides of roast with lemon pepper and brown both sides in bacon drippings in skillet.  Place browned roast in slow cooker and drizzle with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.  Combine soup, chopped pickle and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.  Spread sauce over roast.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve over rice, buttered noodles or potatoes.  Sprinkle reserved crumbled bacon over the top. 

*This has been linked to The Joy of Desserts' Vintage recipe link party.

Enjoy!

~The Lemonista