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Pot roast seems to be too humble to be the star of the dinner. It is a comfort food to many. But by associating with some great and unique sides, it can become the best dinner meal that you can serve during festivals or special dinners.
Pot roast has a plethora of mouth-watering flavors in itself that it does not require any more noble experimentation. However, when it is about fancy dinner parties and to impress someone then these are some exceptional side dishes that you can coordinate.
How to Make Pot Roast At Home
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Making pot roast may take some time but it is one of the best dishes that you can serve your family. Here we give you a quick recipe of pot roast:
Step 1:
Start by seasoning the roast with salt and pepper on both the sides. Take a large saucepan and add some oil in it. Put the roast inside the pan and cook for 5 minutes on both the sides. Make sure the color turns to brown. Remove the pan and keep it covered so that it can stay warm.
Step 2:
Now, in the same pan, add some chopped onion, celery, and carrots and cook them for 5 minutes in oil. You need to keep stirring the veggies so that they don’t burn.
Read More: The Best Onion Chopper
Once the veggies turn brown, you can then add some beef broth and liquids. Keep stirring and bring it to a boil. Now, put the roast inside the pan and set the heat to low. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer.
Step 3:
The simmering needs at least 3 – 4 hours, so you need to have enough time in your hand for this process to work at its pace. Once when it is simmered, you can take the roast out and let it rest for around 10 minutes before your you start with portioning.
Step 4:
It’s time to cut the roast in pieces. You can cut it the way you like your roast to be.
Note
In the liquid, most people use cooking red wine and some Worcestershire for simmering the pot roast.
Amazing Sides to Go with Pot Roast
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It is challenging to love up to the standard of pot roast. Therefore, without trying to win this impossible battle, it is good to serve the sides that bring their unique flavors on the table. Here are some solid recommendations.
1. Creamy Rice Pilaf with Peas
Since pot roast takes a luxury amount of time in cooking, for sides, you can try this quick and scrumptious side dish called creamy rice pilaf.
The recipe can be prepared with tender rice, sweet peas, onions and sour cream. It does not take a lot of preparation time and taste heavenly. This is a great combination to make with pot roast.
2. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes tend to be as a cornerstone as a side dish that can be served with virtually any prime meal. They are uncompromised with the taste and goes as an excellent partner with pot roast as well.
Since pot roast has flavorful meat in it which will provide the punch of energy anyway, potatoes keep the meal light and more authentic to not just give you a mouth full of flavors. It also helps in improving the digestion afterwards.
When you don’t have much time on your hands and still want to make something exciting then there is no better side than mashed potatoes to go with pot roast.
3. Roasted Asparagus
Not many people would seem to know that asparagus is a brilliant side dish to serve with pot roast. It is not heavy at all, so that the main focus will remain on the prime dish you served.
It can however release some crunchy and delightful flavors in the mouth. This one is super easy to prepare and serves as a great appetizer as well.
While roasted asparagus seems to be the best dish to serve with pot roast, you can try some other recipes as well keeping asparagus as a prime ingredient.
Note: On frying or roasting, asparagus tends to turn into thinner sticks. If you want to serve it as a side dish, make sure to purchase fat spears than thinner ones. This will help in moderating the size of asparagus after roasting.
4. Dinner Rolls
One of the proudest things in a pot roast is its gravy. You might want to use the gravy in the most resourceful form. For that, the best that you can do is to serve a side dish that can absorb the gravy.
Dinner rolls will serve an ultimate purpose to the idea as it will soak up the gravy efficiently while giving puffy texture and enhanced taste.
These oblong buttery balls will not just soak the gravy but will also go well with the meat. With a dish like pot roast, dinner rolls can never go wrong. Plus, since this is a classic side, there won’t be a problem of favorites.
5. Pear and Green Salad
While pot roast can be enjoyed all throughout the year, the festive season increases the impact of flavors in it. Many people group it with other amazing dishes on Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Winter time bring green in its most vibrant form. You can find countless green veggies available in grocery stores. You can use these veggies to prepare a casserole of green salad, grouped with pears.
Your guests will appreciate the clubbing of sweet and bitter greens served in a single platter. Dress it up with some celery seeds, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
6. Cheese with Cauliflower
Cauliflower has a very refreshing taste, and it can be served as a stand-alone side dish with anything. However, you can always create an impression by adding some cheese to it.
Cauliflower can be used to provide a gentle undertone to the entire dish while stretchy spread over cheese will steal the light. It can provide excellent edginess to the texture and taste of the dish.
You can have anything underneath, but the right cheese layering on the top makes everything seems perfect and delightful.
7. Creamy Spinach
If you like low-carb dishes and have a heart for prepared spinach then creamy spinach will definitely make a hit in your family.
While this dish is a little heavier than all other intended side dishes but the kind of aroma and flavor it brings to the table is simply remarkable.
8. Yorkshire Pudding
The name suggests it as a dessert dish, but this one can simply uplift the overall taste of your meal manifolds. It is a great pairing choice and don’t just go with pot roast but any kind of roasted meal.
This pudding is basically like any other pudding baked in individual molds. These are ideal for adding any of your favorite sauce or gravy for some sinful taste cravings.
Note: The batter is high in carb content so you should avoid grouping these puddings for dinner time to avoid stubborn fats accumulating on the belly.
9. Sauté Veggies
People who are diet cautious will surely appreciate some simple sauté vegetables with pot roast. You can steam the veggies in a food steamer and give it the seasoning of salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic sauce, or anything that you like to use for seasoning. With steamed vegetables, anything can make a great combination.
As far as veggies are concerned, you can use broccoli, capsicum, bell peppers, mushroom. Likewise, you can add any vegetables of your choice to sauté and serve as a side dish with pot roast.
This dish is a great source of proteins, vitamins and nutrients and will highly nourish your body
10. Liquor
You don’t only need to think about the sauces and vegetables that will be served with pot roast. There is an equal contribution of the kind of drink you serve or else the overall experience will be ruined.
Fortunately, wine goes really well with pot roast. Just like with any meal prepared with red meat, red wine makes a balanced combination. Therefore, one of the other pairing choices that you can make with pot roast is a glass of red wine.
Note
The wines that are semi-dry are considered to be a fine pairing with pot roast because they create the right balance of taste with this meal.
A little tip about the wine – the ones that have 10 grams of sugar per litre are the dry wines. They are very strong and might not pair well with the dish. You need semi-dry wine which might have 15 – 20 grams of sugar per litre.
Such wines are well-balanced and not too difficult to digest either. If someone doesn’t want to have wine then you can serve pot roast with a nice beer as well.
Conclusion
Pot roast happens to be one of the most classic dishes served in all American households. Since it takes its luxury cooking time, the least you can do is to pair it up with a perfect side dish and increase the impact on your guests.
All the recommended side dishes are excellent in taste and they make a perfect complimentary meal with pot roast. Try these sides today!
Sources
- Pot Roast Sides – Taste of Home
- Pot Roast Christmas Dinner Menu – The Spruce Eats
- Many Meals Pot Roast – Ready Set Eat