Place the rinsed pot roast at the bottom of your slow cooker. You'll need at least a 4-quart cooker to accommodate a 3-pound roast -- a standard size for this cut of beef.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the beef. Place some bay leaves, if you wish, on top of the roast for flavor.

Round out the meal with about 4 cups of vegetables, give or take, if desired. Choose between red potatoes, carrots -- chopped carrots or whole baby carrots -- chopped red onions, green beans and mushrooms. Use either a small can of mushrooms or a handful of fresh mushrooms to complement the flavor of the cream of mushroom soup.

Combine a can of cream of mushroom soup with a packet of onion or onion-mushroom soup mix in a bowl. Add some milk to make the mixture creamier. Pour the mixture over the roast and vegetables.

Cover the slow cooker and cook the pot roast and vegetables for about 8 hours on the “low” setting or for about 4 hours on the “high” setting. Stir the ingredients about halfway through the cook time.

Test the pot roast with an instant-read thermometer to ensure that it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest portion. Remove the bay leaf from the slow cooker before slicing the roast. Put the meat slices on a platter and arrange the vegetables around the meat.