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This article answers this perfectly. The only thing I do different is I don't brown the veggies.

I season and brown the meat, put it in a roasting pan on top of big pieces of seasoned potatoes, garlic, carrots, parsnips and mushrooms (just potatoes and garlic if I'm going simple), add enough red wine that it goes almost half way up the meat and cook until the wine is deliciously reduced.

If you don't want to deal with giant portions, this works great with stew meat too.

I've made a few kinds, one which had beer along with dried mushrooms etc and was very nice but in the end I come back to the simple recipe or my mom, can of musroom soup, can of french onion add carrots celery and onion. So while you're turning up your nose at the can version there is a reason that version keeps turning up again and again. Its one of only two recipes that I have using canned soup.

Here's the beer and porcini one which was nice though the beer is a great tenderizer.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/10201

I had always made beef roast in the slow cooker, and it's definitely good; but as a rule, I don't brown my meat before dropping it into the slow cooker (it just dirties one too many pan for me). Anyway, then I got The Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary cookbook for Christmas and a cast iron dutch oven for the no-knead bread craze. I tackled the recipe for pot roast, and although it's more work than tossing it into the slow cooker, but it's AMAZING. It's definitely a weekend recipe, but delicious!
Here is a link to a PDF copy of it that I found on the web.

www.lundsandbyerlys.com/Recipes/~/media/Files/joy_recipe_booklet.ashx

The BEST pot roast recipe ever (and, being a midwesterner, I am a pot roast snob!):

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/lazy-sunday-pot-roast-with-caraway-and-green-apples-recipe/index.html

My mom's, but I can't find it right now. I believe she uses celery salt on the beef, browns it in oil and uses water to simmer it in. I know she does it in an electric skillet. Then she uses flour and water (shaken up in a mason jar, of course!) to make the gravy after the meat is done. Sometimes she shoves potatos in alongside the beef, sometimes she does them in the oven or on the stove. I'll see if I can find the recipe when I get home tonight.

I definitely feel that the best pot roast is brisket cooked low and slow. I tried the recipe for Gail Simmons' mother's brisket, which was pretty tasty.

http://pithyandcleaver.blogspot.com/2008/11/chosen-peoples-pot-roast-gail-simmonss.html

My family's all-time favorite pot roast is so easy, I've memorized it:

Caramelize 1 1/2 lb. sliced onions in a few tbsp. butter or oil in a large dutch oven over med-low heat. Transfer onions to a bowl and brown a well-seasoned 4-lb. chuck roast (don't mess around with rump or top round -- they're too dry) on all sides. Pour in 1 c. chicken or beef stock and a bottle of Newcastle beer,return onions to pot, throw in a few sprigs of thyme, bring to a a boil, then cover pot and put in oven at 275-300 for two hours or until done (flip it over every 45 minutes or so for even cooking). I shred the meat and stir it back into the sauce -- serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.

I love the recipe that Ree (the Pioneer Woman) posted on her website about a year ago.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/01/2008_the_year_of_the_pot_roast/
Yes, you brown the meat & veggies first, but in my opinion this is ESSENTIAL because it adds so much to the flavor. You do the browning in the same pot that you use for the braising, so there are no additional dirty pans to worry about.

The first time I made this, my house smelled amazing. The smell of the meat and the rosemary was simply to die for. The flavor was even better - tender meat, melt-in-your-mouth onions, sweetly soft carrots. It goes perfectly with a loaf of no-kneed bread.

I love pot roast -- it is one of my favorite comfort foods!! Here is my favorite pot roast recipe, which comes from Cooking Light:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1536793

Although you do brown the meat first, the recipe is really quite simple and tastes delicious. And it's even better as leftovers!

A great starter recipe from Alton Brown (even better than my Chipotle-Porter recipe above):

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pot-roast-recipe/index.html

My Mom's Recipe for pot roast in the crock pot....simple and so good:

Easy to remember if you think "3's"

Either brown the roast in a little oil first before putting in crock
pot...or if you are in a real hurry, rub some Kitchen Bouquet all over it and throw it in the crock pot.

Approximately:

3 lb beef roast...cheap one, like chuck or arm, etc.....size is approx
3 large poatoes, halved or quartered
3 large carrots, cut in halves or thirds
3 large onions, quartered
1 c water

1 bay leaf -- optional, and if you use it, remove after roast is done

Cook in crock pot for about 8-10 hours on low.

Pot roast is a method and the themes and variations you can ring are endless (and never need to involve cans of anything).

Royal Danish Pot Roast

This is a very special pot roast that can be served to your most particular guests. It appeals equally to the finicky gourmet and to the meat and potatoes crowd. The aroma while cooking is amazing. If you don't agree that this is the best pot roast recipe ever then I'll be very surprised.

It makes a really flavorful gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and chilled whole cranberry sauce.

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pound boneless beef Rump Roast, Chuck Roast, or other nice boneless beef roast.
(note: You might want to double the following ingredients because the gravy is so wonderful)
1 chopped onion
3 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon Molasses
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Cups beef broth (canned or fresh - also can use beef bouillon)
1 Large Bay Leaf
6 Anchovy filets canned (these add great flavor and aren’t recognizable in the sauce when finished - do not omit them - you might hate anchovies by themselves but you will love them in this recipe - they are the flavor booster and secret ingredient)
1 Teaspoon whole black peppercorns crushed and tied in cheesecloth

Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt the butter in a heavy casserole with a tight fitting lid. Add the meat and brown on all sides over moderately high heat. This will take about 10 or 15 minutes and the meat should be very well browned. Remove the meat and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and brown them but don’t burn. Off heat, add the flour, syrup, vinegar, broth, bay leaf, anchovies, and peppercorns. Stir until blended then return the meat to the pot. Bring to a boil on top of the stove. Then cover and place in the lower 1/3rd of the preheated oven. Roast for about 3 hours until very tender. Regulate heat so that liquid barely simmers.
When tender transfer the meat to a heated platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. You should have a very flavorful gravy. If too thin and lacking flavor boil it down to concentrate.

I generally follow the outline described above, but the best tip I've found was from Cook's Illustrated, for their French Style Pot Roast. Take a whole bottle of red wine (it's okay if it's cheap, really) and reduce it in a sauce pan down to 2 cups. Use this as your braising liquid, and it is so very, very good. Rich wine flavor without bitterness or too much acidity.

May I please, please have the recipe for the pot roast pictured at the top of this post. It looks delectable.