Slow Cooker Cola Roast with Gravy

Roast with gravy is a dish that brings me back to my childhood. Those were the days I spent every weekend with my Granny and Grandpa, swimming in their pool, playing with cousins, climbing trees, and eating good, old-fashioned food. Granny made a mean roast, and pairing it with gravy (usually served over rice) made from the pan drippings was perfection on a plate.

Slow cooker roast isn’t exactly difficult. You simply throw a big hunk of meat into the pot, season and add broth as desired, and cook on low all day long until the meat is tender and falling apart. Cola roast, however, is something of a Southern favorite. We love our Coke, y’all, and have figured out a myriad of ways to include it in all kinds of foods and sauces. Traditionally it’s simmered all day with a couple of cans-worth of the sugary soda and seasoned with powdered onion soup mix, and the drippings and juices left in the pot are reduced down with flour to thicken into a gravy. None of which will work on keto.

Thankfully, as our lifestyle becomes more commonplace, we are starting to see more compliant products that can stand-in for old favorites. One such product is Zevia cola. With no chemical colorings and sweetened only with erythritol and stevia, it’s a perfectly acceptable replacement for regular (or chemical-laden diet) soda in this recipe.

Onion soup mix is a wee bit harder. The seasoning are easy, but the powdered bouillon that is part of its distinctive flavor is made with sugar, and is very much out. So, to get the same rich, beefy flavor without sugary bouillon powder, I used beef broth as part of the simmering liquid. Konjac powder (aka, glucomannan) thickens the leftover liquid into a nice, brown gravy. Serve it over riced cauliflower (as shown above) or caulimash, and you’ve got an awesome and savory meal on the table that’s sure to be a family-pleaser.

Notes: Some folks like fatty roast. My family does not, so I usually trim mine and I calculated macros to assume it’s trimmed. Also, even though I trimmed my roast, it still gave up an absolute ton of juices.  My pot yielded a good 4-5 cups of liquid juices, and only 1 1/4 c of that was from what I added in cola and broth.

Your final yield will vary depending on your roast, which means the amount of konjac you need to thicken your gravy to your desired consistency is going to vary. I ended up needing a full teaspoon to thicken mine to my liking, but remember the cooking rule: less is always more. It’s always better to have too little, because you can always add more. If you begin with too much, it can be hard, if not impossible, to fix. I recommend starting with 1/2 tsp in your juices and simmer it down. If it needs more, add it 1/4 tsp at a time, letting it simmer a few minutes between each addition so it can work its magic.

Slow Cooker Cola Roast with Gravy

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Mandy Pagano
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Total Time: 8 hours 5 mins
• Yield: 10 servings
• Category: Beef, Main Course
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

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Description

I calculated macros for a 3.5 lb roast, with less fat eaten, as everyone’s tolerance for the fatty stuff on a roast is different. Your protein may vary, depending on the size and cut of your roast and whether or not you trim it.

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Ingredients

• 3-4 lb (48-64 oz / 1361- 1814 g) Beef roast, trimmed of excess fat, if desired
• 1 (12 fl oz/ 355 ml) can Zevia Cola (or similar sugar-free cola)
• 1 c (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) beef broth
• 2 tbsp dehydrated minced onion flakes
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp or more glucomannan powder to thicken, as desired

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Instructions

1. Place roast in a large slow cooker, and sprinkle with all seasonings (except konjac).
2. Pour cola and beef broth over the roast.
3. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, as desired, or until tender and falling apart.
4. Remove roast and cover with foil to rest.
5. Ladle out the liquid left in the pot into a large skillet or saucepan. You may skim off any visible fat, if desired.
6. Over high heat, bring the liquid to a simmer and sprinkle glucomannan powder over the top, whisking in well.
7. Cook to reduce for five minutes on high, until it is as thick as desired. If you have more than 2 cups liquid from the pot, you may add another 1/4 tsp or more glucomannan to thicken if needed. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if desired or needed.
8. Serve roast toped with gravy.

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Notes

Glucomannan powder adds 2 g total carbs (all of which is dietary fiber) per every additional 1/2 tsp you add to the entire recipe. Spread across ten servings, it is a miniscule increase to the total carb count per serving (0.2 g total), and a 0 g increase to NET carbs.

Per 1/10 recipe: 404 cal, 43 g protein, 24 g fat, 1.42 g carbs, 0.4 g fiber, 1.02 g NET carbs

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/10 recipe

Keywords: slow cooker, cola, cola roast, roast, gravy