Campbell’s Tavern Roast Packet Copycat Recipe

Is anyone else having trouble finding Campbell’s Slow Cooker Tavern Roast packets? We can’t find them here in Northern IN. So, here’s a great self-tested copycat recipe. Given what Campbell’s former information technology VP Martin Bally said about “crap ingredients” and it being a product for “poor people,” (Newsweek) we may want to make our own anyway. Hey, we could all use a little less corn syrup and, “genetically modified” ingredients as well.

INGREDIENTS

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 celery stalks

1/3-1/2 a sweet onion

Small chalet

1 sweet pepper of your choice

3 large cloves of garlic

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cube of beef bullion

3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar (more or less to preferred sweetness)

1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (more or less to preferred thickness)

8-16 Oz of a semi-sweet dark porter beer (I used Zywiec)

1/4-1/2 cup of a sweet red blend wine (I used Apothic Classic Red Blend)

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon of Kitchen Bouquet

Finally chop all veggies. The idea is to have them so small as to be almost unnoticeable, just like the packets. I don’t know about you but I add carrots, onions, and potatoes into my roasts anyway. So, you don’t want these vegetables stealing the show.

Add the olive oil to a pre-heated skillet at medium high. Add salt & pepper. Sautee until well rendered of water (about 5 minutes). Add garlic. Wait until the garlic is fragrant and stir. Sautee another minute or two.

Add butter. Once melted added crushed beef bouillon cube and brown sugar. Once brown sugar is dissolved add flour. Cook until flour is well integrated (about 1-2 minutes).

Add Porter beer while stirring. Bring to a boil (increasing heat if needed) until most alcohol is cooked off (about 2 minutes). Add red wine. Repeat same steps as with the beer.

Add Worcestershire and Kitchen Bouquet. Reduce heat and cook to desired consistency. Add a tad of beer, wine, or just warm water if too thick and simmer of not thick enough. Once at desired consistency poor over roast in pan or crock pot and cook until appropriate internal temperature is reached!