• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kiersten Hickman

Food Writer & Photographer

Main navigation

  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Sourdough
  • Blog
    • Meal Plans
    • Cooking Tips
    • Sustainability
    • Wellness
    • Life
  • Portfolio
    • Food Writing & Reporting
    • Recipe Development & Tutorials
    • Food Photography
  • Contact
  • January 11, 2021

    The Easiest ‘Pop’ Roast Recipe Ever

    Dinner

    I will always be an East Coast girl down to my core. I grew up in a tiny coastal Connecticut town, went on summer vacations to Cape Cod, and spent a lot of time searching for crabs under rocks at the beach with my brothers. And while I still hold the sun and the sand close to my heart, I admit, my heart does hold another allegiance. Because once I experienced the midwest with all its charm—and its infamous Sunday pot roast—my heart was literally torn in two. Because who could not love a place where people instantly yell at you for calling a “pop” a soda? Or for laughing at you when you never heard of a pop roast before?

    cooked pop roast with onions on top on a white plate

    Okay, I’m only teasing—a little. Spending five years in Chicago was an eye-opening experience for a little east coaster like me. I learned a lot about a part of the country I literally knew nothing about, including all of the crazy foods and dishes I never heard of. I mean, how was a girl supposed to know a “hot dish” was a baked casserole?! Or that salad could come in whipped cream form—and served with dinner?

    And…how was I supposed to know that I would marry into a family that is not only full of midwest charm, but is also armed with so many delicious midwest recipes that I have never heard of before. Like pop roast. And tater tot hot dish. And Snicker’s salad.


    Yes…it’s exactly how it sounds.

    For any east coasters reading this blog, you may be completely shocked by all of the lingo (which you’ll get profusely made fun of for saying in “funky accents” in the midwest) But let me give it to you straight: If you haven’t tried any of these foods, especially this easy pop roast, you are surely missing out on one of the most delicious culinary experiences of your life.

    I’m sure I garnered a few eye rolls from the Midwesterners reading that sentence, but come on. If you experienced pop roast for the first time at 23, wouldn’t you also be obsessed with it? I mean, how could a can of soda make a meat so tasty, and a gravy so delicious it can never compare to any other beef gravy ever?! It blows my mind.

    pop roast with homemade gravy and roasted tri color potatoes

    So it only felt appropriate to post one of the most classic midwest recipes that I’m absolutely obsessed with. My mother-in-law taught me how to make it, and you better believe I have this on the regular meal plan rotation from here on out. It will certainly be making an appearance in my monthly meal plans in the future…


    Oh, and it is so easy to make. All you have to do is whisk together a can of soda, a can of Cream of Celery, and a dry packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Just pour it over the roast in a dutch oven, and bake. Yum.

    What kind of soda?

    There are honestly so many options for this. I personally love a classic cola, like Coca-Cola, for this recipe. But I’ve also seen it done with a can of Dr. Pepper or Pepsi.

    How big should the roast be?

    I don’t have to cook for a lot of people, so I keep my roast small. Three pounds is usually good and cooks perfectly after about 90 minutes. However, this same recipe will work for bigger cuts of meat. So if you grab a chuck roast that’s four or five pounds, you can still follow this same recipe! You don’t have to double the soda or anything for it. Just make sure to cook it until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

    What should the pop roast cook in?

    A dutch oven! I would say anything between a 6 or 7.5-quart dutch oven— something in that range will work well for a roast.

    If you don’t have one, I suggest buying this one by Lodge. It’s a bit on the cheaper side for dutch ovens, but works really, really well.

    Plus, with a new dutch oven, you can try one of these delicious recipes!

    • Easy One-Pot Jambalaya
    • One-Pot Bolognese
    • Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
    • Sourdough Bread (or use for artisanal-style bread baking!)

    And now, a delicious pop roast. Enjoy!!

    cooked pop roast with onions on top on a white plate
    Print Recipe

    Pop Roast

    Let the sugary can of soda work its magic on this traditional pot roast, also known as a pop roast!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time2 hrs
    Total Time2 hrs 5 mins
    Course: Dinner
    Keyword: beef chuck, dutch oven, pot roast, roast
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 281kcal

    Ingredients

    • 3 lb chuck roast
    • 1 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola
    • 1 dry packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
    • 1 can of creamy of celery

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Whisk together the can of soda, packet of dry soup mix, and the cream of celery in a medium-sized bowl.
    • Place the chuck roast in a dutch oven. Pour the soda mixture over the roast, letting the soup mix fall on top of the chuck roast.
    • Place the lid on the dutch oven and put it in the oven.
    • Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the roast reaches at least 145 degrees.
    • Remove to a large serving platter and slice. Ladle the gravy into a gravy boat or a bowl with a spoon. Serve warm with roasted vegetables of your choosing.

    Notes

    Calories may vary based on the size of your chuck roast.
    No matter the size of the roast, you can still follow this same recipe. The only thing that changes would be the cooking time. The smaller the chuck roast, the less time it will need to cook.

    Looking for even more meal ideas? Sign up for my email list and I’ll send over a free one-month meal plan!

    Pin this for later


    the easiest pop roast recipe ever

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

    You might also like

    • creamy tuscan in a pan with bread

      Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe

    • cutting up grilled greek chicken

      Grilled Greek Chicken Marinade

    • Easy Fried Rice Recipe

    beef, dinner, dinner recipes, dutch oven, easy dinner, easy dinner recipe, easy recipes, pop roast, roast

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

    Hi, I’m Kiersten!

    I’m a food writer & photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. This blog is a place where I share a bit of my life behind the scenes. And all the things I love to cook. More on me >>

      Let’s connect!

    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Looking for a recipe?

    My Instagram

    • To me, prepping meals makes eating healthier *so* much easier during the week, and I
    • An easy salad you can meal prep—one of my new favorites! This salad was featured in my cooking series with @eatthisnotthat, and I
    • Want to simplify cooking in 2021? Tired of settling for *another* night of frozen pizza or takeout? Same, which is why I developed a full meal plan for January 2021—and I
    • Family is all about trying your recipes multiple times before you get it right I
    • 2020 sucked...but I admit, being at home did force me to create my own fun, which involved trying all kinds of new recipes for my blog. And after looking at the data, there were quite a few recipes that my readers loved this year. So, I
    • A prosecco for the rest of us! Like this post if you get my reference. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I
    • New profile pic ✨ Today is the LAST video in my holiday cooking series with @eatthisnotthat and there
    • Every moment is the perfect charcuterie moment—especially around the holidays. ✨ Here’s a board I threw together this weekend loosely using my cheese board formula...with a whole lotta extra sweets. It’s the holidays, after all!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Gouda wheel⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Goat cheese with herbs⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Brie wedges⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Red wine cheese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Pepperoni slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Summer sausage slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * French baguette slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Wheat Thins⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Triscuits⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Apple slices⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Peanut brittle⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Grapes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Dark chocolate stars⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Dried apricots⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Raspberries⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * White chocolate-covered pretzels⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Chocolate covered peanuts⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Mini dill pickles⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * Kalamata olives⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ *
    • I know cookies are always the holiday dessert of choice, but who doesn
    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Archives

    logo
    Food Advertisements by
    • To me, prepping meals makes eating healthier *so* much easier during the week, and I
    • An easy salad you can meal prep—one of my new favorites! This salad was featured in my cooking series with
    • Want to simplify cooking in 2021? Tired of settling for *another* night of frozen pizza or takeout? Same, which is
    • Family is all about trying your recipes multiple times before you get it right I
    • 2020 sucked...but I admit, being at home did force me to create my own fun, which involved trying all kinds
    • A prosecco for the rest of us! Like this post if you get my reference. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I
    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • FREE cookbook!
    • Easy Eats
    • FAQ

    hello@kierstenhickman.com

    Kiersten Hickman © 2021 - DESIGNED BY HERPARK STUDIO