This lovely roast beef recipe comes from my dear friend Regina. It’s a simple cold-oven method that produces exceptionally tender, juicy roast beef with minimal fuss.

Regina is an excellent cook and baker, and she has generously shared many favorite recipes over the years. One stand-out is her simplified Classic Rainbow Cookies, a dessert she’s perfected and made easier than the traditional method.

Her approach to roast beef is similarly straightforward: just a handful of ingredients and a clever cold-oven technique that’s a real time-saver on busy days. Since she showed me this method, it’s the only way I make roast.

This roast is ideal for weeknight dinners or when you’re hosting company. It’s easy to double for a larger crowd, and when I brought three roasts to a potluck, this dish was gone first.

In the photos you’ll notice grape tomatoes and a whole head of garlic roasting around the beef. Roasted together, these ingredients add wonderful flavor and complement the meat perfectly.

Cold Oven Roast Beef

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 pound beef eye round roast
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (for the casserole)

Directions

1. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into a casserole dish and rub it around to coat the area where the roast will sit. Place the roast in the oiled spot.
2. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, peeled garlic cloves, dried thyme and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread this mixture around the roast in the casserole.
3. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld. If you prefer not to refrigerate ahead, you can proceed immediately but shorten the cooking time as needed.
4. The next day, place the covered roast in the center of a cold oven and set the oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the roast reaches your desired doneness. Timing will vary slightly by oven and roast size—use a meat thermometer if you like.
6. Remove the roast and let it rest at least 10 minutes before carving. This helps the juices redistribute and keeps the meat tender.

Enjoy this amazing roast beef!

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