Yummy Pot Roast

I've been on a roll talking about the benefits of cooking for me and that many of us need something like cooking as a hobby. But I have to change direction for a day, I'll get back to it.
My good friend Roy Darden and his family invited us for dinner recently. Roy cooked a pot roast that was delicious. It made me want to see what I could come up with. I asked him if he marinaded it and he said he cooked it in mushroom soup. This reminded of when my mom made pot roast for Sunday dinner using onion soup mix. We'd come home from church and my oh my the house was filled with a fragrant aroma.
The challenge was on and I had to give it a try. We were having a pot luck with my Wednesday small group and I thought I'd try it out on them. I googled "pot roast with onion soup" and found a ton of recipes. I printed out several and came up with my own. Here's what I did.

I got a 4.5 pound chuck roast; becasue we were expecting 10 people. The night before I lightly salted and peppered it along with covering it with 1 package of onion soup mix (I used Lipton, only the best); wrapped it in foil and refrigerated overnight. Also, I cut up 3 stalks of celery and 3 large carrots in large chunks, then I quartered 2 onions; bagged it all and refrigerated. The next day I went home at lunch and browned the roast in 1/4 cup canola oil in a large black skillet. Then I removed the roast and browned the vegetables. To finish cooking, use a large baking dish; it needs to be pretty big for such a large roast or you'll have to remove some of the liquid as it cooks.
Anyway, I put 2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup in the bottom of the dish, don't forget to spray the dish first with Pam, I did. Then put the roast in with the vegetables around it; pour over 1 can of beef broth. Then cover it with foil and bake for 2.5 hours at 300 degrees,we did it at 350, but I think 300 would be better. If you don't have a large enough dish, check it in 30 minutes in case you need to remove some liquid, we did and then we had too again. Keep the liquid.
Charlcie was at home so about 3:30 she turned the oven down to around 200 degrees and we let it cook for another 3 hours. By the time I got home at 5:30 Charlcie said I didn't have enough vegetables. So off to Kroger I went for some more carrots and onions. I got back a little before 6, took the liquid we'd saved from the roast and put it in a deep pan along with 1 more quarted onion, 4 more stalks of celery and about 20 or 30 of these mini carrots. I didn't count. I brought it to a boil and then simmered it for 45 minutes.
The small group people were arriving between 6:30 and 6:45, with most arriving closer to 6:45 or after. About 6:45 I took the roast out and let it rest for 10 minutes, then sliceed it and served it with the gravy. And let me tell you that was thick, mouth watering gravy. It was a hit with everyone and was I glad; succese ah how sweet it is.