Slow-Cooked Beef Stew, Comfort in a Bowl

 "Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change." (Author Unknown)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

     The brisk autumn morning, with its misty dew clinging to the fallen leaves, promised a day of cozy comfort. A perfect day, I thought, to embark on a culinary adventure. Beef stew, a hearty and soul-warming dish, was the clear choice. I’ve experimented with various methods – quick and easy stovetop versions, slow-cooked oven masterpieces, and even pressure cooker wonders. But today, I felt the urge to channel my inner chef and let the magic of the slow cooker work its enchantment.

 

Hearty Beef Stew

 

What you need:

Slow Cooker

Beef, cubed

Garlic, 3 gloves chopped

Onion, ½ chopped in small pieces

Carrots, 4 sliced in thick slices

Celery, 2 chopped in bit sized pieces

Mushrooms, 3 cups sliced in thick slices

Frozen corn, 1 cup

Frozen peas, ½ cup

Potatoes, small round ones about 15 of them (just washed them and put them in whole)

Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup

Powder Beef Gravy, 4 TBSP.

Fresh sprig of Thyme and Rosemary

Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl add your beef cubes and Worcestershire sauce. Massage it into the meat. Then add 2 TBSP. of the powder gravy into the bowl and about 1 tsp. of pepper. Mix all that together and put it aside.

 

2. Get your slow cooker, spray it with Pam and turn it on high. We want it to heat up before adding everything in it.

 

3. While the slow cooker is heating up grab your cutting board because we’re going to cut all the veggies and garlic up.

 

4. Since I’m feeling “cheffy” about this beef stew we’re going to the stove, but not to cook everything like I do sometimes, just the things that will bring some more flavor to everything. I’m going to use my cast iron pan to cut my onions, mushrooms, and garlic. I cook the onions first and let them get a good brown coloring on them and add the mushrooms about five minutes in or so. I let that cook together for about ten minutes and add the garlic. I cook the garlic with everything for about a minute or two. I’m going to put everything from the pan in the slow cooker first.

 

5. I’m going to add the rest of the potatoes and veggies into the slow cooker (except the corn and peas), mix that all up. Add all the meat from the bowl including any of the powder at the bottom of the bowl. Mix that all up with the veggies.

 

6. Now time to add the water to the whole thing. I usually add enough to barley cover everything. I haven’t added any salt to the dish and that’s because the Worcestershire sauce and brown gravy have salt in them. I’m going to wait for about an hour into it to taste it to see if it needs salt.

 

7. I cook it on high for about two hours and then turn it down to low for another four hours. 

 

     Nothing beats the cozy comfort of crumbling warm cornbread into a hearty bowl of beef stew. My mom prefers a thicker gravy, which I easily achieve with a little cornstarch and cold water. It's a simple, satisfying meal that's perfect for any chilly night.

 

     Time has flown and dinner's ready! The house is filled with the most comforting aroma, like a warm hug in the form of a delicious meal. I made a double batch this time—half for tonight's feast and the other half for cozy winter nights. It's perfect for those chilly evenings when we're outside decking the halls.

 

May this season be filled with haunted houses, pumpkin patches, and plenty of spooky surprises.

Thank you for stopping by…