Don’t you just love beef stew? Beef stew, to me, is comfort food. You know, that tummy-warming, creamy, great tasting food served in one dish. Eating comfort food is like getting a hug on the inside.
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When you think of comfort food, what comes to mind? I think of macaroni & cheese, tuna noodle casserole, spaghetti & meatballs and this family favorite: beef stew! Beef stew goes with hot biscuits, don’t you think? When I serve it, a basket of hot biscuits is always on the table.
Not only is beef stew a perfect dinner on a cold winter’s night, it is now easier than ever to make. Just pull out your slow cooker and you are ready to go! I used to avoid using a crockpot. The clean up was a mess. As it is, mine is very large and heavy. Baked on food? Yikes! A nightmare to clean up. I hated it. Then my son (yes, my 25 year old son) told me about slow cooker liners and it opened up a whole new world for me. Cleaning is a breeze. What a relief.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Tools
Slow Cooker Liner
Ingredients
4-5 pounds of cut and trimmed stewing beef
1 T. dried onion flakes
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut in 1” squares
2 cups baby carrots
1/2 to 1 cup frozen peas
2-3 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 T. Knorr brown gravy mix
Directions
Line your crockpot and set it on HIGH.
- Add the stew beef to the crockpot, sprinkling it with onion flakes. Some of the beef pieces may be a little large. If so, cut them down to size before putting them in the cooker.
- Peel and cut your potatoes. Place them on one side of the cooker, on top.
- Add the carrots to the top on the other side.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours.
- Check the veggies. If they are undercooked, you may want to remove them and microwave them some. If they are getting too soft and dinnertime is far away, either reduce the heat to LOW or WARM or remove the veggies and allow the beef to continue to cook. With experience, you will be able to gauge the timing so that none of this adjusting is necessary.
- Add Cream of Mushroom soup 30 minutes before serving. The juices from the beef should dilute it enough to make it just the right consistency. Start with 2 cans. If it there is not enough gravy or it is too thin, add the third can.
- Sprinkle 1 T. dry Knorr brown gravy mix and mix it through for flavoring.
- Add the frozen peas and mix through. They will thaw quickly and be just right without precooking.
- Ready to serve in 5 minutes.
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