Crock Pot Beef Stew
It’s the first day of Autumn! The weather is absolutely beautiful! We’ve got pumpkins and mums on the porch and we are piling up our recipe lists for some good home cookin. This time of year I love having the windows in the house open so we can feel the crisp clean air and smell the fresh breeze. We love beautiful music to play through the house. George Winston is a great one for this time of the year! Can you feel the hygge already? Fall is when we really start bringing out all the comfort foods. They make the soul happy. Well this Crock Pot Beef Stew is the perfect comfort food! It is so warm, hearty, and is just a delightful meal!
I wake up, eat breakfast, then put the stew together in the crockpot and let it simmer all day. Then the only thoughts I have about dinner the rest of the day, is how much I am going to enjoy it. The aroma in the house is like no other…Mmmmm!
I love the simple and healthy ingredients. The smell of fresh thyme is heavenly, especially when you wash it and start pulling the sticks apart. It releases the most pleasant aroma. I always let the kids smell fresh herbs and spices. It creates nostalgia. The recipe calls for 2 carrots, but I like veggie loaded stew, so I do 3 or 4. I also do an extra potato. I love the art and beauty in vegetables. It’s the little things. ;)
I add a little extra beef broth sometimes for extra sauce. It is great both ways though. The recipe says cook on low for 6-8 hours. That is good, however I do prefer to cook mine either on high for half the time and low for the remaining time, or on low for 8-9 hours. Also when choosing beef, it is important to choose good chuck stew meat with a little fat on it. Not too much, but not lean. The fat does a great job tenderizing the meat. We have tried both ways and the lean meat turns out more tough. We love it when each bite falls apart in your mouth.
I use THIS classic crockpot. I have tried fancy ones and I keep going back to the tried and true crockpot. The stoneware is what helps it cook so well. I got this one at Bed Bath and Beyond for only $47.99(with the 20% coupon). It is 8 quarts which is bigger than most. I love it. It holds an entire ham for the holidays! Stay tuned for crock pot citrus cider ham recipe… Mmmmmm.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds chuck meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped into cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 15 oz can unsalted diced tomatoes
PREPARATION
Place the cubed meat and flour and in Ziploc bag, seal and shake until the pieces are fully coated with flour.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and sear the pieces of meat for 4 minutes until all sides are nicely brown.
Remove the meat from the pan and place in the crock pot.
Add the red wine and stock to the sauté pan and bring to a boil for one minute, scraping off the bits of meat that have caramelized in the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the reduced liquid to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients and combine.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
I got this recipe from one of my favorite sites Epicurious. Find HERE. This recipe was originally published on Weelicious as "Beef Stew in the Crock Pot".
Every time I make stew, we pair it with hot blueberry crisp for dessert! The dishes compliment each other SO well and the family cannot get enough. Find my homemade Blueberry Crisp recipe HERE.
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