Homemade Pot Roast

Like many basic dishes, there are about a gazillion ways to make a roast. Every cook has her own way of doing it, and chances are, she will change just a little something every time she makes it.  Like many others, I hardly ever make one the exact same way twice.  However, this is a good recipe from which you can take away or build on as you see fit:

Pot Roast

3-4 lb. roast (bottom round)
4 medium potatoes, cut into about 1x1" pieces
4 medium carrots, split and cut into 1" pieces
1 medium celery rib, cut in half
1 medium onion, sliced into about 12 equal portions
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 bay leaf
6-7 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (about 1/2 Tablespoon)
1 can of French Onion soup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 T. oil
1/2 c. of water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper over all sides of roast. In a large, oven-proof Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.  Place roast in Dutch oven, and brown on all sides (about 6-9 minutes). Combine potatoes and carrots in separate mixing bowl, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and remaining 1/2 tsp. pepper. Mix to season potatoes and carrots. Place onions on top of roast, then add potatoes, carrots and garlic.  Pour French Onion soup directly over meat and vegetables, add Worcestershire sauce and water. Sprinkle with parsley, add bay leaf, and place celery on top. Cover with lid and place in oven.  Cook for about 1 1/2 hrs, removing lid for last 30 minutes of cooking.  Remove bay leaf before serving and serve hot.