Major revelation!

Ok, this is a major revelation. It's my very important secret ingredient for delicious pot roast and also for crock pot chicken.

Italian dressing mix.

For the pot roast you sprinkle the dressing mix over the top of the roast (I prefer round roasts, not chuck), add enough water to come halfway up the roast and cook for 5-7 hours. About half an hour before you're ready to eat mix a few tablespoons flour (I use about a 1/4 cup) and 1 1/2 cups of water (more or less depending on how much gravy you need) in a shaker bottle (the kind with the wagon wheel inside) and pour in with your roast. You don't need to stir or mess with the gravy. Just put the lid back on, turn the pot to high, and when your family's ready for dinner you'll have wonderful roast beef and gravy to serve with the mashed potatoes and green beans you made while the gravy was thickening!

Our version of crockpot chicken is made with italian dressing (the cheaper the better). Arrange whatever amount of chicken you wish to cook in the crock pot and pour italian dressing (already prepared, not the dry mix) in until you mostly cover the bottom layer of meat. I do mess with this a little as it cooks because I rearrange the chicken every couple hours so that all pieces spend time in the dressing. I also start with flash frozen breasts and they seem to cook just fine in about 5 hours (I have a 7qt. pot). I don't use the liquid as gravy because I'm just not convinced that the oil would be healthy in that large a dose.