Hi Leonard @jakeduck1, I would use a frying pan with a little bit of oil in it and just quickly sear all sides of the roast. I usually hold it with a pair of good tongs so you can brown the sides of it as well. I would also add some thyme, salt, pepper, minced garlic and a bay leaf (if you have it). Good luck! Hope it's yummy!

@jakedduck1

Don't put the inside on top of the stove...if it is ceramic or stoneware, it will crack. and you mat damage a metal one. Do as others say and brown it on the stove with a little oil. However, please bring the roast up to room temperature before you do and it will brown faster and more evenly. Don't attempt to turn the roast too soon. When you are browning in oil and you put something in the oil, the temperature decreases and then you have to wait before turning or the meat will stick...Turn the oil to high to start and then down to medium. You can always cut a large roast in half.

This step is worth the extra dirty pan and time. And you can put anything you like in the water/broth....I like the traditional carrots and onion and turnips.....but like mashed potatoes I don't have a crock pot....I do mine the old fashioned way
ind a Le Creuset pot.

I have used Worschstershire sauce, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, rosemary, basil as seasonings. The fastest seasoning packet for pot roast is a pack of onion soup mix using half of the water indicated and then I make a roux out of flour and butter. A roux is simply melting butter, adding flour and stirring until it is thick. without burning, and then adding to the liquid in the pot for gravy.
Yup, another dirty pan. It might be different in a crock pot.

FL Mary