How Far In Advance Can You Make Pot Roast? Here's The Ideal Time

Though it's easy enough to make a delicious pot roast in a slow cooker or Dutch oven, it's a meal that requires a lot of prep work. Cutting up ingredients, searing the beef, and making the sauce can take over an hour. If you're planning a dinner party or holiday meal, you might not want to waste valuable time on pre-cooking prep. Luckily, you can make pot roast in advance.

You can make the dish an hour before meal time and keep it warm by turning the heat to its lowest setting, or adjusting your Crockpot or slow cooker to its "warm" setting. You can also make pot roast up to four days in advance. In fact, one timing mistake people make with beef roast is serving it too soon after cooking as preparing your pot roast in advance will actually make the dish even more flavorful. Storing it in the fridge for at least one day (if not more) will give all of the flavors time to settle, infusing the meat, potatoes, and veggies with your rich broth. Most people find pot roast more enjoyable on the second day because it has a more complex flavor profile.

Pot roast is also incredibly easy to freeze and reheat. You can make it up to three months ahead of time and freeze the entire meal in a freezer bag or airtight container. You just need to remember to take it out of the freezer prior to your meal so that it can thaw in your fridge before you reheat it.

If you're making pot roast a day before serving, cool it to room temperature after cooking. Then put it in an airtight container in the fridge. This will preserve its taste and texture. To reheat it from cold, transfer it to a Dutch oven or other oven-proof dish with a lid, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit without preheating. It may take about 30 to 45 minutes for it to get hot enough to serve, but check it regularly to make sure it isn't burning. If necessary, add small amounts of water or beef broth as it reheats to prevent the meat from drying out. Pot roast can also be reheated over low heat on the stovetop.

Another one of the biggest mistakes everyone makes with pot roast is not choosing a high-quality cut of meat. If you plan on preparing your roast ahead of time, the best cuts of meat to use are chuck roast, brisket, or bottom round. A tough cut, however, might get tougher and drier the longer it is frozen without proper storage. 

A slow cooker pot roast can last in the freezer for up to three months. To preserve the pot roast's quality, put it in the freezer shortly after cooking. Let it come to room temperature, and then add it to a freezer bag, taking the time to press out all excess air while sealing. To reheat pot roast from frozen, remove it from the freezer 24 hours before your meal. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, and then heat it up on the stovetop or in an oven-proof dish with a lid.