Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 8 hrs | Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins | Servings: 6
Serve this cosy meal without a fuss tonight. Easy to throw together and very comforting.
Ingredients
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Meat:
2 tbsp oil
1.5 lbs beef stewing meat in chunks
1-2 tsp salt or less, depending on what kind of stock you’re using
black pepper to taste
2 tbsp flour
Gravy:
2 large yellow onions cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic sliced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
4 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 c red wine OR use more stock
2 c beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
Vegetables:
3 large waxy potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
4 large carrots peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into chunks
4 large celery sticks trimmed and thickly sliced
1/2 lb brown mushrooms cleaned and quartered
1/2 c frozen peas no need to defrost
How to make Crock Pot Beef Stew
To brown the meat:
Step 1: In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Once hot, add the beef cubes and season with salt and pepper. Stir, then sprinkle flour over the meat. Stir again.
Step 3: Continue to cook until all sides of the beef are brown. Making sure to not stir too much.
Step 4: When done, transfer the browned beef into a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker.
To make the gravy:
Step 1: Using the same skillet, cook the onions and garlic until beginning to soften. Add more oil if needed.
Step 2: Add in the Italian seasoning and tomato paste. Continue to cook for a minute more, stirring constantly until aromatic.
Step 3: Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and cook for another minute.
Step 4: Then, stir in the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil before turning the heat off.
Slow cooker:
Step 1: Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms over the meat in the slow cooker. Pour in the liquid from the skillet very carefully into the pot. If needed, stir the mixture a bit.
To cook:
Step 1: Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the peas. Adjust the seasoning according to taste. For a thicker stew, continue to cook with the lid open or closed for a soupier consistency.
Tips:
For a thicker gravy:
1. Flour the meat.
2. Add a shredded floury potato.
3. Or in the last 10 to 15 minutes before the cooking time ends, stir in a cornstarch slurry and continue to cook with the lid off.
Preparing the vegetables:
1. To make sure that the vegetables cook evenly, slice them in roughly the same chunks.
2. Don’t slice the vegetables too small or they will dissolve when cooking or too big. Leave them a bit chunky instead.
To brown the meat:
1. For extra flavour, flour and brown the meat before adding them into the crockpot. I suggest to not skip this step for flavour and consistency.
Alcohol:
1. You can skip this and just add more broth.
Maple syrup:
1. Leave the maple syrup out if desired. But adding maple syrup will not make the stew sweet, only add more depth of flavour.
Amount of liquid:
1. Before adding extra broth, note that the added liquid in a slow cooker doubles as it cooks.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving: 1serving (1/6) | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 32g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 823mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g
Ingredients
- Meat:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1.5 lbs beef stewing meat in chunks
- 1-2 tsp salt or less, depending on what kind of stock you're using
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp flour
- Gravy:
- 2 large yellow onions cut into wedges
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 c red wine OR use more stock
- 2 c beef stock
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Vegetables:
- 3 large waxy potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 large carrots peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into chunks
- 4 large celery sticks trimmed and thickly sliced
- 1/2 lb brown mushrooms cleaned and quartered
- 1/2 c frozen peas no need to defrost
Instructions
To brown the meat:
Step 1: In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Once hot, add the beef cubes and season with salt and pepper. Stir, then sprinkle flour over the meat. Stir again.
Step 3: Continue to cook until all sides of the beef are brown. Making sure to not stir too much.
Step 4: When done, transfer the browned beef into a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker.
To make the gravy:
Step 1: Using the same skillet, cook the onions and garlic until beginning to soften. Add more oil if needed.
Step 2: Add in the Italian seasoning and tomato paste. Continue to cook for a minute more, stirring constantly until aromatic.
Step 3: Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and cook for another minute.
Step 4: Then, stir in the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil before turning the heat off.
Slow cooker:
Step 1: Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms over the meat in the slow cooker. Pour in the liquid from the skillet very carefully into the pot. If needed, stir the mixture a bit.
To cook:
Step 1: Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the peas. Adjust the seasoning according to taste. For a thicker stew, continue to cook with the lid open or closed for a soupier consistency.
Tips:
For a thicker gravy:
1. Flour the meat.
2. Add a shredded floury potato.
3. Or in the last 10 to 15 minutes before the cooking time ends, stir in a cornstarch slurry and continue to cook with the lid off.
Preparing the vegetables:
1. To make sure that the vegetables cook evenly, slice them in roughly the same chunks.
2. Don't slice the vegetables too small or they will dissolve when cooking or too big. Leave them a bit chunky instead.
To brown the meat:
1. For extra flavour, flour and brown the meat before adding them into the crockpot. I suggest to not skip this step for flavour and consistency.
Alcohol:
1. You can skip this and just add more broth.
Maple syrup:
1. Leave the maple syrup out if desired. But adding maple syrup will not make the stew sweet, only add more depth of flavour.
Amount of liquid:
1. Before adding extra broth, note that the added liquid in a slow cooker doubles as it cooks.
