This recipe is not one I would have normally gravitated to, but my referral raved about it. The Pepperoncinis put me off -- while I like them, I wouldn't have thought to feature them in a pot roast. You know what Pepperoncinis are, right? The most obvious local identifier for me is the little yellow/green, wrinkled pepper that comes with a Papa John's pizza. It lends a salty, crunchy, pickled, subtle heat to a bite of crust. This recipe has a bit of kick, but not too much for my kids. Trust me, this is good! The peppers soften and mellow after hours in the crockpot.

Pepperoncini Pot Roast

Directions:

2-4 pound chuck roast

garlic pieces

12 oz jar pepperoncinis, stems removed (save the juice in the jar)

large onion, thinly sliced

Au Jus packet

beef stock, low sodium

Ingredients:

Cut slits in the pot roast and fill with pieces of garlic. Place the meat in your crockpot. Scatter onions and pepperoncinis around the meat. Pour off half the reserved juice left in the pepperoncini jar and add the Au Jus packet. Shake. Fill the jar with beef stock and shake again. Pour the liquid over the pot roast. Cook on high 6-8 hours. Shred. Serve over mashed potatoes or with Hawaiian Rolls and a slice of provolone cheese. You can also serve the beef on a heartier bread, topped with sauteed onions and peppers. The leftovers are great in quesadillas.