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Chef and Life Is a Party author David Burtka shares one of his favorite easy, classic comfort food dishes: fork-tender pot roast with a savory mix of onions, carrots, celery and parsnips. 

"When you dip into a bowl of this, it's total and utter warm comfort on a spoon; think family, home, and cozy nights." —David 

Pro Tip from David: Try swapping in other root vegetables, such as celery root, sweet potatoes or beets, to change things up. 

For more pot roast inspiration, check out Rach's Weeknight Pot Roast and Tuscan-Style Pot Roast

Ingredients

  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 8 sprigs thyme
  • One 3-pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 6 equal pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
  • 10 ounces medium cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
  • 2 medium red onions, quartered and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut on an angle into ½-inch pieces
  • 3 celery stalks, cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 large parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut on an angle into ½-inch pieces
  • 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • One 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 2 dried bay leaves, broken in half
  • 1 ½ cups dry red wine
  • 3 cups store-bought mushroom broth
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Yield

Serves: 6

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and set aside. Season the meat with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer, about 30 seconds. Add the meat and sear until deeply browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a large plate. 

Reduce the heat under the pan slightly and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and onions (do not add salt at this point, or they will release too much liquid) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just tender, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, parsnips, garlic, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the herb bundle, bay leaves, and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and resembles a thick gravy, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the broth; increase the heat to high to bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the meat in the mushroom broth and pour any of the juices left on the plate over the meat. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours. 

Remove the pot from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Discard the herb bundle and bay leaves, then divide the vegetables and cooking liquid among six bowls and top each with some of the cooked meat. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

Excerpted from Life Is a Party by David Burtka. Copyright © 2019 by David Burtka. Used with permission by Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.