GOOD EATS

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Ahearty meal packed with beef and veggies, this recipe cooks low and slow and is GOOD EATS Ingredients 2-pound beef chuck roast (cut into bite-sized pieces) 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 cups baby carrots perfect for cold nights.

I crave soups, stews and big bowls of comfort foods during the winter months and this beef stew is my all-time favorite recipe. It’s packed with incredible flavor, tender chunks of beef and hearty vegetables. It’s warm, comforting and super simple to prepare.

Beef Stew is one of the best all-time comfort foods around. Of course, you can dress it up and make it as fancy as you like, but I prefer to keep mine simple and prepare it the old-fashioned way with just a few flavorful ingredients.

For this recipe, I will use my crockpot. My crockpot is super helpful in the kitchen. It gets used a lot, and I couldn’t imagine not having one. I just add my ingredients and turn it on. It does the work for me. Dinner is ready and waiting on me when I return home in the evenings.

All ingredients complement each other, and not one overpowers the others. As a result, this dish is filling, delicious, hearty and incredibly easy to prepare. Recipes like this inspire me to grab a blanket, sit by a fire and enjoy the evening with a comforting bowl of stew.

To complete the meal, serve with cornbread, biscuits, toasted bread or grilled cheese sandwiches. All of these will be perfect for dipping into the gravy. 2 celery ribs, sliced 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1 cup V8 Juice 3 cups beef stock 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 package dry onion soup mix Gina Abernathy 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Add all ingredients except cornstarch to the crockpot and stir. Cook 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. Optional: To thicken, 10 minutes before serving, remove 1/2 cup of liquid from the pot. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the liquid and pour it back into the pot. Stir well. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. This will thicken the stew. If you like it soupy or if you’re happy with the consistency, omit this step.

Any leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

~ Gina Abernathy is the author and recipe creator behind the blog Home at Cedar Springs Farm. For more delicious recipes, or to follow Gina, check out her blog at homeatcedarspringsfarm.com

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Use stew meat instead of a chuck roast. • Use diced tomatoes instead of tomato paste. • For more flavor, dissolve one beef bouillon cube in a cup of water and add to the stew. • Sear the meat in a skillet before adding it to the crockpot. • I use a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe.