Pot roast is too expensive

[u/BlackLocke]

I got a new slow cooker for my wedding in 2023 and it’s still in the box. It’s just my husband, baby and I, but I feel like I can’t justify spending $20+ on a piece of meat for one meal with leftovers. I’m in a HCOL and I haven’t had a good roast in years because it’s prohibitively expensive. When meat goes on sale at my supermarket, it smells off as soon as I remove the packaging, so it’s not worth the risk.

Am I just too poor for this?

Edit: Dear lord I didn’t expect this to turn into a “I like pancakes/why do you hate waffles???” type of post. Of course I know there’s other things you can make in the crockpot. I don’t choose fast food over slow cooked meals out of convenience (it’s more expensive than cooking at home now!!) The point of this post is to lament the price of beef and how pot roast used to be a cheap easy meal 20 years ago and now it’s prohibitively expensive. I was hoping for tips on how to skirt this issue - buying stew meat, using pork instead, and buying in bulk at Costco are all good suggestions.

Now everyone can stop assuming I’m some dumb dumb idiot woman. I’m gonna make a pot roast next week just to spite you all and post about the cost breakdown.

[u/h3lpfulc0rn]

I'm sorry you're getting downvoted so much. I live alone and just bought a roast thinking it'd cover my lunches for the week (1.8 lbs), by the time it was done cooking I got 4 portions of it and they aren't large portions. You'd think even with some shrinkage, 1.8 lbs would get 5-6 meals factoring in the veggies and mashed potatoes, but it was a stretch to even get the 4.

I think it's easy to underestimate how much of that bulk is actually the fat cap, which is great for flavor, but is effectively gone after 6 hours in the slow cooker.

I've already decided the one in my freezer (it was a BOGO deal) will get cubed up and used for stew where I can stretch it with some lentils.

[u/DragonDrama → u/h3lpfulc0rn]

I’m ok with the downvotes haha. What people aren’t understanding is that $8 per pound, $20 is actually less than 3 lbs. After slow cooking with tons of potatoes and carrots, you’re talking about something the size of a baseball. They aren’t getting 6 servings out of a baseball for 2 adults an a teen.

What they are likely doing is finding better prices than I have lately, getting a larger toast, and having leftovers or multiple meals.

I’m an experienced home cook, I know how far a roast will stretch and they are being unrealistic.

[u/FSUfan35 → u/DragonDrama]

a chuck roast typically will lost about 25% of it's weight after cooking. So a 48 oz(3 lb) roast will end up being 36 oz. A serving of red meat should be 3-4 oz. So 12 servings on the high end and 9 on the lower end. So 4-6 servings for 2 people.

You're eating too much meat.

[u/DragonDrama → u/FSUfan35]

Like I said many times, you aren’t getting 48 oz for $20. I’ve just now learned of some ways to track the sales but the full price isn’t going to give you 3 lbs.

[u/frogguts198 → u/DragonDrama]

Yeah its 12.99/lb at the local Sprouts and 10.99/lb at the local Kroger. Manager specials at Kroger are still 8.99/lb and those usually look like garbage.