Perfect polar vortex comfort food!
Please note that this review was not paid for or sponsored by any third party. I purchased this product with my own money and the opinions in this review are strictly my own. I am not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers. I am just a fan of the company. I write these reviews to help my fellow shoppers.
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It’s been freezing cold here lately, so today we’re talking about a polar vortex comfort food: pot roast. Specifically, the The 44th Street Slow Braised Pot Roast in Rich Gravy.
The 44th Street Slow Braised Pot Roast in Rich Gravy is really tasty and tender. I found a few pieces of fat in my beef when eating it, but they were easy to remove because the meat is so tender that it just falls apart. You’ll notice when you take the roast out of the package there are white pieces of fat on it; I removed those prior to cooking the pot roast (which was also easy to do). The gravy is thick and delicious and definitely goes well with the beef. You can eat the gravy with your sides (like fries or potatoes), so that’s an added bonus! Overall, the roast and gravy makes for a delicious comfort meal. I would dare say it almost tastes homemade.
This is an item that’s best bought on sale. I know that’s true for everything, but the size/cost ratio isn’t great for this. If given the chance, my husband could probably eat a whole roast himself because they aren’t very big. If you serve it with sides, you could probably serve two to four adults, but I don’t think you’d have a lot of leftovers. The regular price for the 44th Street Slow Braised Beef Pot Roast in Gravy is $19.99 Canadian, but I’ve seen it on sale for $15.99 Canadian. That’s still a bit on the pricey side in my eyes, so I treat these more as a convenient treat than a regular staple. You’re definitely paying for the convenience of not having to slow braise your own pot roast from scratch.
The 44th Street Slow Braised Beef Pot Roast in Rich Gravy is probably the most convenient pot roast I’ve ever come across. The roast comes pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed in a plastic package with the gravy, so all that’s required is cutting open the packaging and popping it in the microwave or oven. You also have the option to boil it in the bag. I prefer using the oven personally. Please note that you can’t put the black plastic tray in the box in your oven as it will melt. It’s safe to use in the microwave though. Anyway, the only downside that I can see from a convenience standpoint is that you can’t cook your sides along with the roast like you normally would when making pot roast in a slow cooker.
Nutritionally, a quarter of the pot roast contains 240 calories, 15 grams of fat, one gram of sugar, 25 grams of protein and 500 milligrams of sodium. The entire pot roast is only 960 calories, so you can kind of see where I’m coming from when I say my husband could eat the entire thing himself! Overall the numbers aren’t that bad if you limit your portion size. You get a good amount of protein in only one quarter of the roast, so that’s good. People who are watching their fat or sodium intake might want to be aware of the relatively high numbers in those categories. Also, some of the ingredients might pose problems for people with certain food sensitivities: it contains wheat, soy and milk.
If I can get a 44th Street Slow Braised Beef Pot Roast in Rich Gravy on sale, I’ll pick one up as a convenient treat once or twice a year for nights where I want a quick comfort meal. I definitely have to make sides with it though, because even though there are only two of us, I find that one pot roast isn’t quite as much meat as we would normally eat with a meal like this. If you love pot roast but have a busy life and are looking for something comparable to the homemade version, I highly recommend trying this as it is quite tasty!
Taste: 8/10
Cost: 6/10
Convenience: 9/10
Nutrition: 6/10
Have you tried this? What did you think? Do you have a recipe for homemade pot roast?
One of the best features of this pot roast is the instructions on the package. Take a peek if you still have the package.
We buy this a couple times a year too. It’s delicious just on a toasted bun like a beef dip. 🙂
We cook this in the included tray in the microwave and then dump it out of the bag into the tray and shred it up with a fork like pulled pork add the side dish of the instant mashed potatoes that Costco carries and the veggie of your choice and you have the quickest dinner ever!!
Wish they didn’t use wheat. I’d love to try it! Sadly, though, I’m Celiac. I’ve read the ingredients on several different trips to Costco, just in case they’ve changed the wheat ingredient. Oh well, I better just make my own! Haha!
When it was first introduced years ago, it was $12.99. I have watched it slowly climb in price as, I can only assume, it became more popular. Sad because my family loves it but only buy it now when it’s on sale.
These are awesome! Love how quick and easy it is! Very tasty! Even on a low carb diet this is totally acceptable even with the gravy it seems. I will definitely buy them again (sure hope they go on sale again soon)
I cook potatoes and carrots in the pot mixed in the gravy, takes a little longer to cook
Super tasty and very convenient dish. Comes on sale pretty regularly with $3-$4 off the tray. Excellent to have on hand in the freezer.
These are really handy for camping. Freeze them so they last longer. Boil in the bag, and it’s extremely simple clean up. You do need an oven mitt to keep your hands safe when opening it up. Scissors and your plates are about all you need to clean afterwards.
I tend to boil for longer than the recommended time, just to make sure it heats all the way through.
We regularly buy this when it’s on sale, rarely at regular price. We usually heat this in a Pyrex covered dish in the microwave oven – 10 minutes at 50% power
The gravy is a bit thin for our tastes, so we add 1/4 cup of brown gravy mix powder (also purchased at Costco) and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (to taste). The gravy mix by itself is usually made on a 1:4 ratio of mix to water, so we use less water in order to thicken the gravy while adding a bit of volume.