Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew: A Perfect Comfort Meal

If you’re looking for a hearty and comforting meal, look no further than Slow Cooker Beef Stew. This classic recipe is easy to make, and the slow cooker does most of the work for you. With tender chunks of beef, flavorful vegetables, and a rich broth, this stew is perfect for a chilly day.

To get started, gather your ingredients. You’ll need three pounds of beef stew meat, which you can usually find pre-cut at the grocery store. Chuck or round are both good choices. You’ll also need onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, carrots, and tiny one-bite size potatoes. For the broth, you’ll use beef stock and dry red wine. Flour, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce round out the seasonings.

To assemble the stew, place the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the beef stock, red wine, and flour, along with the seasonings. Pour the liquid over the meat and vegetables, and give everything a little stir. Tuck in a couple of bay leaves for added flavor, and then cover and cook on high for two hours and low for six hours.

Once the stew is finished cooking, give it a taste and add more salt as needed. Then serve it up with a nice loaf of warm French bread for sopping up all that delicious broth.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s so versatile. You can easily customize it to your liking by adding or subtracting ingredients. For example, if you’re not a fan of mushrooms, leave them out. If you love root vegetables, add some parsnips or turnips. You can also play around with the seasonings, adding more or less of each depending on your taste.

Another great thing about Slow Cooker Beef Stew is that it makes fantastic leftovers. You can store it in the fridge for up to five days, or freeze it for later. Just be sure to reheat it gently over low heat, so the meat doesn’t become tough.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a classic recipe that’s easy to make and perfect for a comforting meal. With tender chunks of beef, flavorful vegetables, and a rich broth, it’s sure to become a family favorite. So the next time you’re craving something warm and satisfying, give this recipe a try. Your taste buds will thank you!

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Servings 6

Author Stasia Wimmer Boschetti

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef stew meat (Pre-cut, Chuck or Round), cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 20 tiny one bite size potatoes, leave whole
• 4 cups beef stock, low sodium
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, add more as needed
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper add more as needed
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 bay leaves, remove after cooking

Instructions

1. Place meat, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and potatoes into a 6 ½ to 7 quart slow cooker.

2. In a large measuring cup add beef stock, dry red wine, and flour, whisk together. Add dried thyme, salt, pepper, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce, give it another good whisk. Pour liquid mixture over meat, vegetables, and potatoes into the slow cooker and give it a little stir. Tuck in two bay leaves, remove them after cooking.

3. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours and low for 6 hours or until meat is tender and the vegetables and potatoes are cooked. Once complete add more salt as needed. Serve with a nice loaf of warm french bread. Enjoy!