• Home
  • Email List
  • Cookbooks
  • FAQs
  • Instant Pot Secrets
  • Sponsor Me

365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking

Easy slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes for each day of the year

  • Filter Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Meatless
  • healthy
  • Soups

August 7, 2014

3-Envelope Crockpot Roast (without the envelopes)

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

You may have heard of 3-envelope roast before (or maybe not).  It’s simply cooking roast with a packet of ranch, a packet of gravy and a packet of Italian dressing mix.  The roast gets super flavorful and the recipe really couldn’t be much easier.  I decided to take this well-known and loved recipe and make my own “envelopes” of ranch mix, gravy mix and Italian dressing mix.  That way if you aren’t okay with some of the ingredients in these packets you can make your own and know exactly what goes into what you’re eating.

My husband told me that this was the best roast he’s ever eaten.  It was perfectly flavored and ultra tender and moist.  Make it for Sunday dinner and let the slow cooker do all the work!

3-Envelope Crockpot Roast (without the envelopes) #easydinner #crockpotdinner

The first thing that you’ll want to do is make your own mixes.  You’ll use some of it now for the roast recipe and then you can use the rest in the future to make some dressing or gravy.  I really loved using my blender to blend these mixes.  I know you’re thinking that this adds an extra step but the blender really got all the particles in the mixes uniform and made it a really fine consistency.

3-Envelope Crockpot Roast (without the envelopes). Make your own packets and know exactly what's in your food!
After making your mixes you’ll add them into the slow cooker a long with your roast and a bit of water.  I really suggest buying a chuck roast.  You’ll cook it low and slow all day long and it will become fork tender…not dry and gross.  I like to wait for a sale on chuck roasts.  I can usually find it as cheap as $2.99 on sale!  I woudn’t spend more than $4.00 a pound.
3-Envelope Crockpot Roast (without the envelopes). #easydinner #sundaydinner #crockpotrecipe
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

3-Envelope Crockpot Roast (without the envelopes)


  • Author: Karen Petersen
  • Cook Time: 8-12 hours on low
  • Total Time: 49 minute
  • Yield: Makes 12 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs chuck roast (trimmed of excess fat)
  • 3 Tbsp ranch dressing mix (recipe below)
  • 2 Tbsp gravy mix (recipe below)
  • 2 Tbsp Italian dressing mix (recipe below)
  • 2 cups water

Instructions

  1.  In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil over medium-high heat.  Brown the roast on each side for 5 minutes.  This step is not mandatory but it does make the roast taste better!
  2.  Add the browned roast to the slow cooker.
  3.  In a bowl whisk the water together with the 3 mixes.  Pour the mixture over the roast.
  4.  Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours (depending on your slow cooker).  You’ll know the roast is done if you can shred it easily.
  5.  I like to shred my roast (as seen in the pictures above).  The way that I did it with this roast was use a hand mixer.  I took a hand mixer to the roast right inside the crockpot. Because it was so tender it shredded up perfectly.  You can also just use a fork to shred.
  6.  Serve and enjoy!

Homemade Gravy Mix Recipe

  • 3 Tbsp beef bouillon granules
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup flour

Run all the ingredients through a blender or food processor.  Pulse about 10 times until all the granules
are the same consistency. Store in an airtight container.  To make gravy, mix 1/4 cup of mix with 2 cups of milk or water in a saucepan.  Whisk over medium heat until smooth and it thickens.

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

  • 1/3 cup dry buttermilk powder
  • 3 Tbsp parsley flakes
  • 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried minced onion
  • 2 tsp dried dill weed
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Run all the ingredients through a blender or food processor.  Pulse about 10 times until all the granules
are the same consistency.  Store in an airtight container.  To make ranch dressing whisk together 3 Tbsp of ranch mix, 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup milk until smooth. Refrigerate for half hour before serving.

Homemade Italian Dressing Mix

  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 Tbsp dried parsley
  • 2 Tbsp salt

Run all the ingredients through a blender or food processor.  Pulse about 10 times until all the granules
are the same consistency.  Store in an airtight container.  To make Italian dressing mix together 1/4 cup cinder vinegar, 2/3 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp water and 2 Tbsp mix.  Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can easily halve this recipe.

Ideal slow cooker size: 6 quart

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @365dayscrockpot on Instagram

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

13 Comments Filed Under: 5 ingredients or less, 6 or More Hours, Beef, Slow Cooker Tagged With: 5 stars, All Posts, beef chuck roast

Recommendations

Comments

  1. tracy says

    December 22, 2022 at 10:45 am

    If I want to use any of these “envelope mixes” in other things, is 3 Tbsp of the Ranch, 2 Tbsp of the Gravy and 2 Tbsp of the Italian the equivalent to each of their respective envelopes?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 22, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      Yes I believe so

      Reply
  2. Karen says

    February 15, 2020 at 11:42 am

    Thank you so much! !! Love your recipes!!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 15, 2020 at 7:36 pm

      You’re welcome Karen!

      Reply
  3. Bev E says

    September 3, 2018 at 8:58 am

    I had this at dinner at someones home. It was really flavorful but both my husband & I found it to be much too salty. Thank you for this recipe because now I can make my own mixes & reduce the amount of salt. This is going to be so much better.

    Reply
  4. Lynn says

    July 22, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    How can i get this recipe to print?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 24, 2018 at 8:31 pm

      Hi Lynn, I just added a recipe card to this recipe for easy printing. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  5. Ashley says

    January 5, 2017 at 12:49 pm

    How long can these be stored in dry form?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 5, 2017 at 3:38 pm

      Oh for a long time…Keep them in a airtight container. Probably up to a year.

      Reply
  6. LF says

    August 26, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    Is there a way to make the gravy mix without flour? Could I use brown rice flour?

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      August 27, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      I am not familiar with brown rice flour but you could sure try! Let me know how it turns out.

      Reply
  7. Diana Blair Revell says

    August 8, 2014 at 8:07 pm

    I absolutely L.O.V.E. this recipe but I have to admit I didn't like the idea of the "envelopes"…so I am ultra glad to get the recipe for the mixes! Wow-eeee! (Best "pot" roast I've ever tasted.)

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      August 11, 2014 at 4:12 pm

      YAY! Hope you like it 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Welcome!

Karen photo

Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

Stay In Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

365 Days of Slow Cooking © 2023 · Privacy Policy

MENU
  • Home
  • Filter
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Meatless
  • Healthy
  • Soups
  • Email List
  • Cookbooks
  • FAQs
  • Instant Pot Secrets