The Best Roast Beef Dinner

 I love roast beef and searched for years after my mother passed away for the perfect roast.  My mother always used the onion soup mix and water and a 3 or 4 lb. chuck roast.  It always turned out good, but Bill hates fat on or in meat of any kind, so I always had to buy arm roast and they are not fatty at all and if you don't cook it right, they come out tough and dry.  So with some experimenting and getting tips from other cooks recipes, I came up with my own and it turns out perfect every time, nice and juicy and melt in your mouth heaven.

I use a heavy MAGNALITE dutch oven (the one I have is older than Bill, at least 67 yrs. old, it was his mothers) and it must have a tight fitting lid. (This is key to keeping the meat tender).  I put it over a medium flame, add 1/4 cup bacon grease and sear all the sides of the roast, then I turn on the oven to 250 degrees F and sprinkle a pkg. of  Liptons Beefy Onion Soup Mix over the roast, 1 tsp. crushed Rosemary, 1 tsp. ground Thyme and 3 cups water.  Cover and place in oven for 3 hrs.  You want it to cook low and slow and whatever you do, DO NOT REMOVE THE LID.  Some people want to add carrots to the roast and potatoes while cooking, but since the roast has to cook so long, my potatoes have turned to mush by then.  So, after 2 hrs. of baking, I get my carrots and potatoes ready.

CARROTS:  1 lg. pkg. of baby carrots, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and cinnamon each, enough water to just cover the carrots.  Add all ingredients to a heavy saucepan, place over a medium/high heat and let boil down.  You don't want to burn your pan, but just watch it carefully, until the liquid is syrupy.  Turn off heat.

POTATOES: I used to use the whole peeled potatoes, but now I prefer mashed.  Everyone has their own mash potatoe recipe, but here's mine.  Peel  7 or 8 lg. golden potatoes, dice into large chunks, rinse, and place in a heavy pot, add water, just enough to cover potatoes, add 1/2 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil, continue to boil, until potatoes are soft, remove from heat, drain water, add 1/2 stick butter, salt and pepper to taste, and whip with an electric mixer, add milk to fluff.

GRAVY:  After the roast is done, place the pan on top of the burner and remove the roast from the pan onto a serving plate.  Let rest.  Take a large bowl and strainer and strain herbs from drippings, return drippings to pan and turn on high heat, add 1 to 2 cans (undiluted) Campbells Golden Mushroom Soup to the drippings and stir until smooth and creamy.  Do not add anymore liquid, and stir gently with a whisk.  You don't need to add anymore seasonings.

This is the best roast beef dinner I have ever made, and it always turns out perfect.  Just remember the key hints, like don't peek, or remove the lid until done, serve with homemade bread is the best.  I hope you enjoy my recipe.

Another recipe my hubby makes with the leftovers, is Hash.  He'll dice up the carrots and 3 or 4 small potatoes, boil those seperately and add to the carrots and chop up the leftover roast and add the gravy to it and heat it up.  It's sooo good with biscuits or cornbread the next day.