Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This easy slow cooker beef stew recipe made with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, broth, herbs, and spices is hearty and comforting.

Servings:6

What you need:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup all-purpose flour  or cornstarch(to make gravy)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups beef broth
small bag baby carrots
3 medium potatoes, diced 
8 oz mushroom's halved or quartered
1/2 cup bacon, chopped
1 cup green beans
1 medium onion, chopped 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon ground paprika
6 clove garlic, minced or whole like I like to do somedays
Fresh herbs if I have them rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley, a couple bay leaves(fried 1-2 tsp each)
2 tbls cornstarch, 1/2 cup cold water or milk for gravy.

How to make it:

Place meat in slow cooker. Cover with seasonings, then add onions, garlic and herbs of your choice, I use rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley, a couple bay leaves, fresh if I have them or dried works too. Then slowly add broth and Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings then add onions and garlic and cooked bacon along sides around roast.

Let cook 2-4 hours, then add carrots, let cook another 20 minutes till tender  next add carrots, and green beans, cook 10-15 minutes till tender, finally add mushrooms cook just about 5 minutes till soft.

When everything is tender as you like, Mix cornstarch with a little cold water or milk, stir till smooth, then stir into crock pot to thicken and make a gravy from the juices. Serve hot.

chop your fresh herbs

Beef Stew

 

Old style comfort foods, always a favorite in our house. This stew you will serve in soup bowls; dark brown beef and vegetables in lots of rich gravy.

What you will need:

1/3 Cup flour
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp pepper

4-5 garlic cloves minced
2 pounds beef stew meat (with bones, if possible)
4 tb shortening
3 Beef bouillon cubes
1 tb lemon juice
1 tb Worcestershire sauce
1 large onion, slice
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp allspice
12 small carrots
12 small white onions (one large onion)
8 small new potatoes

a few mushrooms sliced(optional)

How to make it:

Mix the flour, salt and pepper (to taste) and roll the beef cubes in 
the mixture.  Shake off excess.  Melt the shortening over high heat 
in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with cover.  When the fat is 
very hot, add the beef.  Add only enough so that it won't be
crowded and can brown on all sides.  When the last batch of meat is 
browned, return it all to the pot.  Pour on 6 cups of boiling water 
(stand back when you do, since this will sizzle and splatter a great 
deal).  Add the bouillon cubes.  Stir.  Add the lemon juice, 
Worcestershire sauce, 1 large onion, garlic, bay leaves and allspice.  Lower 
the heat and cover; simmer for 1 1\2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is 
tender.  Add the carrots, onions, and potatoes and cook until tender 
(about 20 to 25 minutes).

To thicken if not thick enough, take 3 heaping tsp corn starch and whisk into 

1/2 cup of water or more broth, slowly stir into stew and let it come back to temp, 

as it will thicken and serve.

Let cool 10-15 minutes if you can wait.