Country-Style Pot Roast with Sour Cream Gravy

Nothing says home cooking like a pot roast. And the three-hour cooking time is especially heaven-sent in that it allows you to put the finishing touches on everything else. (And maybe hide those romance novels you don’t want the preacher to know you read.)

Pot Roast

1 (3- to 4-pound) beef pot roast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup butter

4 teaspoons beef granules

4 cups water

1 medium onion, cut in chunks

6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 pound carrots, peeled and quartered

Sour Cream Gravy

1½ cups drippings from the roast

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup cold water

¾ cup sour cream

To make the pot roast: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat both sides of the pot roast with the salt and black pepper. Rub with flour. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium to high heat. Brown the meat on both sides. Mix the beef granules and water together and pour over the meat. Cover and place in the oven for 3 hours.

Add the onion, potatoes, and carrots to the roast pan. Cover and continue to cook for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a platter, and cover to keep warm.

To make the sour cream gravy: Measure the drippings and add water if necessary to make 1 ½ cups. Pour in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl mix the flour and water together. Gradually add to the boiling drippings, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil. Serve with the pot roast. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.