Surprise Your Taste Buds with Three Mushroom Pot Roast

Sharing is caring!

Upgrade your Sunday dinner game with this delicious Three Mushroom Pot Roast. Juicy meat, flavorful mushrooms, and a hint of herbs for the perfect combination. Your family will thank you.

 

I love pot roast.  It’s a classic comfort food that is perfect for a cozy family dinner or impressing guests. Now, the best thing about pot roasts lies in its simplicity and adaptability.  You can customize your pot roast recipe with your favorite vegetables, herbs, and spices. I’ve made onion mustard roast beef and even Memphis BBQ pot roast sandwiches.  And they’re fairly easy to make, but they do take a while to cook.  The key to a truly scrumptious pot roast is slow-cooking which allows all the ingredients to meld together into a rich, aromatic masterpiece.

 

And this one has three types of mushrooms that bring so much flavor to the tender beef.  But they also make for the most delicious gravy you’ve ever tasted!  It’s rich, earthy, and packed with so much flavor you will want to stick a straw in there and just drink it straight from the pot.

 

 

What are Mushrooms?

 

Mushrooms are a type of fungi that come in many varieties, each with its own unique flavor and texture. They are a versatile ingredient that can enhance the taste of a wide range of dishes, from soups to sauces and everything in between.

 

How Many Types of Mushrooms Are There?

 

There are over 14K known types of mushrooms but only about 2K of them are edible.  And each of those edible mushrooms brings a distinct flavor profile to the dish.  Some of the most popular culinary varieties include button, cremini, portobello, oyster, chanterelle, and trumpet mushrooms. 

 

 

Button mushrooms, have a mild flavor and firm texture. They are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of dishes like this one pot mushroom and herb rice.  Cremini mushrooms (AKA baby bella mushrooms) are similar to button mushrooms but  are slightly firmer and darker in color.  They’re great in recipes like mushroom risotto and boeuf bourgignon.  Portobello mushrooms are mature cremini mushrooms and have a large, flat cap with a robust flavor and meaty texture. They are often used as a vegetarian substitute for meat in burgers and steaks.

 

Some popular Asian mushrooms are shiitake.  They’re known for their rich, umami taste and meaty texture. Shiitakes are often dried and rehydrated, which intensifies their flavor even further.  Next there’s oyster mushrooms that are named for their oyster-shaped cap.  They have a delicate texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor which is perfect for asparagus with mushrooms and thyme. Finally, there’s enoki mushrooms.  These have a long, thin stem with a small, white cap, a crunchy texture, and mild flavor.

 

 

Some other common mushrooms are chanterelle, morel, porcini, and trumpet mushrooms.  Chanterelles are golden mushrooms with a fruity, nutty flavor and firm texture. They are prized for their culinary uses in gourmet dishes.  Morels have a honeycomb-like appearance.  They have a rich, earthy flavor and are commonly foraged.  Porcini mushrooms have a strong, nutty flavor and are especially delicious in soups and sauces.  Finally, the trumpet mushroom has a dark, smoky flavor.

 

Cleaning Mushrooms

 

Cleaning mushrooms is an essential step to ensure that no dirt or debris ends up in your dish. Use a damp cloth or paper towel to gently wipe each mushroom.  I know there’s a debate about washing or not washing your mushrooms.  While not entirely forbidden some experts advise against washing them in water.  If you wash them, just do a gentle rinse and be sure to dry them immediately to prevent them from becoming waterlogged.

 

 

Alton Brown did a whole bit on his Good Eats cooking show about this.  The amount of water that the mushroom absorbed was nominal and didn’t really alter the mushroom flavor or texture.  I rinse mine under cold water and then shake them dry before chopping if they’re super dirty.

 

Choosing the Right Mushrooms

 

For this recipe, I used a mix of button, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms.  The first time I made this recipe, I purchased a stir fry package which had white, cremini, and shiitake in there.  For this version I purchased 16 ounces of each type of mushroom.  Feel free to use your favorite mushrooms in your pot roast recipe.  I find that these three provide a fantastic blend of flavors and textures that complement the rich pot roast.

 

 

Make sure to select fresh, firm mushrooms for the best results. You want to look for mushrooms that are smooth, plump, and free of blemishes or soft spots. The caps and stems should be dry and firm.  Sometimes our mushrooms are in the fridge for a little too long and they start to darken and sometimes turn slimy.  If they’re slimy, they’re no good.  But if they’re just a little dark, then I think they’re perfectly fine for this recipe since they’re going to cook with the roast. 

 

Slow Cooker vs Oven Braise vs Instant Pot

 

When it comes to cooking pot roast you have three main options.  Originally, I made this an oven braised pot roast recipe.  If you have the time, then by all means do this.  It makes for a richer flavor and the broth has the ability to reduce and concentrate a little. 

 

Next, there’s the slow cooker approach, which is an easy, hands-off approach.  Slow cooking a pot roast allows the meat to cook at a low and consistent temperature.  The extended cooking time enables the flavors of the ingredients to meld together, creating a rich and deeply satisfying taste. It also provides the advantage of hands-off preparation which frees you up to spend time with family and friends, or work on chores, posts, etc. while it cooks.

 

 

Finally, there’s the pressure cooker or InstantPot method of cooking.  This is like slow cooker but on steroids.  First, it lets me brown the meat in the same pot I used to cook it in.  You can’t brown in a traditional slow cooker.  Second, it’s hands off like the slow cooker.  I brown the meat, add the mushrooms, herbs, and liquids, fasten the lid, and let the electronic pressure cooker do the work. 

 

The biggest benefit is the short cooking time.  For this mushroom pot roast recipe, I cooked it for 90 minutes and let it naturally release until the mashed potatoes were done.  Then I released any remaining pressure, thickened the gravy, sliced the meat, and served!

 

Ingredients for three mushroom pot roast

 

There’s nothing complicated about this recipe.  It has simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.

Pantry ingredients – olive oil, wine, beef broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, water, cornstarch

Refrigerate ingredients – chuck roast, mushrooms, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary

 

 

Instructions to make this pot roast recipe in the Pressure cooker/InstantPot

 

Set the pot to sauté and preheat on high.  Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot.  Sear the roast on all sides and remove it to plate.  Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and being to brown.  Add the red wine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the wine reduces by half.

 

Stir in the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sauté for a few minutes.  Return the roast to the pan.  Add the bay leaves and pour the beef broth over top and fasten the lid making sure the valve is closed.  Set the pot to cook on high for 90 minutes with a natural release.

 

This Three Mushroom Pot Roast REQUIRES mashed potatoes.  I mean, I bought No Yolks noodles but felt it necessary to have potatoes to make that little gravy swimming pool to hold more mushroom gravy goodness.  The gravy is rich, earthy, and full of rosemary and thyme flavor.  The roast is perfect tender and was easier to cut into chunks than slices because it was fork tender.  It’s a delicious roast for slow Sunday supper or a dinner party with friends and family.

 

Instructions for oven braising and slow cooker are listed in the recipe card below. 

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!