Sunday Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

There's a reason the slow cooker is a heartland hero: a little effort in the morning turns into a tender, fall-apart roast by dinner.

Ingredients: 3 lb chuck roast 1 onion, sliced 4 carrots, chopped 3 potatoes, quartered 2 cups beef broth 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt, pepper, and a sprig of thyme

Steps: 1. Season the roast well and sear it in a hot pan for a couple minutes per side (worth it for the flavor). 2. Add the vegetables to the slow cooker and set the roast on top. 3. Pour in the broth, Worcestershire, garlic, and thyme. 4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 5, until the meat pulls apart with a fork. 5. Rest, slice, and spoon that broth over everything.

The safety splash: slow cookers are designed to run while you're out, but give yours a fair shot. Set it on a hard, heat-safe surface away from the wall, check that the cord isn't frayed, and don't run it through a flimsy extension cord. And once dinner's done, cool and refrigerate leftovers within two hours to keep everyone happy and healthy.