January's Recipe: Cranberry Beef Roast

Each month I will be posting one of my family's favorite recipes on the blog, and this month it's one of our winter favorites: cranberry beef roast.  The recipe I originally used called for a pork roast, so you're welcome to try that, too.  I only make this in the winter, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it's great right after the holidays if you're trying to get rid of leftover canned cranberries.  The house smells DIVINE while this roast is cooking.  This is one of Tim's favorites, so sometimes he bribes me by promising to take me to the Panera (my absolute favorite restaurant) in return for me making this.

1 beef roast (any size that suits your family)
2 tablespoons oil
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cranberry, grape-cranberry, or grape juice
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cloves (depending on how much spice you like)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
salt to taste

Brown roast in oil on all sides.  Transfer to a slow cooker.  Combine cranberry sauce, sugar, juice, mustard, pepper and cloves, and salt:  pour over roast.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  About 5 minutes before serving, combine water and cornstarch and add to roast to thicken the sauce.  Serve with mashed potatoes.