Meatball Pot Roast


No Comments


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

A unique recipe for Meatball Pot Roast is what you need to try this week. It has amazing gravy, tender meatballs, and plenty of vegetables.

A large spoon scooping out some meatballs and veggies from a crockpot.

We love this frozen meatball pot roast. You may wonder why anyone would want meatballs instead of pot roast. Trust me, this recipe is one of the best meals I’ve had out of the crockpot. Here is why I want you to try it.

  • This recipe uses budget-friendly meatballs instead of expensive chuck roast; they cook up super tender and soak up all the flavors.
  • Tastes just like a pot roast dinner everyone loves, with a beefy gravy that pairs well with everything in the pot.
  • Great for serving a crowd or a big family.
  • Or makes plenty for leftovers – heats up great for lunches.

Key Ingredients

Meatballs: Find these in the freezer section of the store. One bag is all you need. I use homestyle, but you can use Italian style.

Gravy: All you’ll need is an au jus packet, onion soup mix and water. Just those three ingredients make a beefy sauce for the meatball pot roast.

Vegetables: Baby Carrots, potatoes, and celery.

Ingredients for meatball pot roast on a table.

How to Make Meatball Pot Roast

  1. Layer the potatoes, carrots, and celery into the slow cooker.
  2. Add the frozen meatballs, soup mixes, and broth.
  3. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the savory gravy has developed.

How to Serve Meatball Pot Roast

This is one of those magic one-pot meals that you can come home to and just spoon into bowls. If you want, add buttered sandwich bread or dinner rolls! The gravy is so good with the buttered bread.

Meatball pot roast in a crockpot.

Tips & Variations

Layer in flavor: Add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or A-1 steak sauce to jazz up this frozen meatball dinner.

More Veggies: Mushrooms, green beans, or diced white onion are good additions to this pot roast dinner.

Make it Rich: Add a 1/2 cup of sour cream; this will make the gravy taste similar to beef stroganoff.

Close-up of meatballs and veggies in a white bowl.

Can Homemade Meatballs be Used?

If you have a homemade meatball recipe you like, you can use it with this recipe. The cooking time will remain the same, for the vegetables will take just as long as the meatballs.

A serving of meatball pot roast in a white bowl.

Should I Thaw the Meatballs?

You do not need to thaw the frozen meatballs for this recipe. They thaw pretty quickly in the crockpot and are perfectly safe to cook from frozen.

Meatball pot roast in a crockpot.

Meatball Pot Roast Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
All the classic pot roast flavors are in this meatball pot roast recipe! Just switch out the chuck roast for frozen meatballs and you have an easy comfort meal.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

How to Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 26 oz. bag frozen meatballs, (a 32-oz. bag works fine too)
  • 1.5 cups baby carrots
  • 3 ribs celery, sliced
  • 1.5 lbs. baby potatoes
  • 1 oz. packet au jus mix, Knorr or McCormick are great choices
  • 1 oz. packet Lipton onion soup mix
  • 2 cups water, or beef broth
  • Fresh parsley (optional) , for garnish

Instructions 

  • Start by adding your baby potatoes, carrots, and celery to the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Add the frozen meatballs.
  • Add the au jus mix, onion soup mix, and water. Stir gently
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 5–7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables are fork-tender and the meatballs are hot throughout.
  • Give everything a gentle stir. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Sarah’s Notes

If you like a thicker gravy, whisk 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch and 1 Tbsp. water and stir it in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Toss in a handful of frozen peas just for serving for color and flavor.
If your potatoes are not baby, simply halve or quarter them.

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4433IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

More Fun Beef Recipes to Make

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff and Slow Cooker Beef Stew are hearty comfort food dinners perfect for cold nights and busy weekdays.

From classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast to homestyle Slow Cooker Meatloaf, these beef recipes are easy family dinners that always satisfy.

Honey Garlic Steak Bites and Poor Man’s Steak Diane are packed with rich savory flavor and taste great served over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Other recipes you may like

Leave a comment

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

Recipe Rating