Old-fashion Beef Stew

one of our most favorite autumn comfort dishes is beef stew. it’s so versatile - you can use whatever is in fridge; and it’s a breeze to make in a crock pot - put it all together in the morning… ready in the evening.

Ingredients: put into crock pot in this order - dense items go on the bottom

• onions, cut into quarters, and then halved

• 2-4 carrots, sliced thick on the diagonal

• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped

• small bag of new potatoes, or 2 large baking potatoes cut into chunks (optional - you can omit the potatoes if you’re planning a different starch/side)

• 2 lbs stew beef (cut the big pieces in half)

• small container of mushrooms, any kind. sliced or quartered

• 14oz can of chopped or diced tomatoes (with the juice)

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced.

Instructions:

in a medium size bowl, add 3 cups of beef broth. 1 tbsp of worchestershire sauce, 1/4 white or red wine, and an envelope of beefy onion or mushroom onion or onion dry soup mix, salt & pepper, fresh or dried thyme, oregano, rosemary… i give it a few shakes or pinches of whatever appeals to my senses.

• pour over the ingredients in the crock pot.

• add 2-3 bay leaves

• set it and forget it! on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Notes:

tweak the seasonings as you like. same for changing up the veggies. want more beef? add another pound.

if the gravy is too thin for your liking, add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. (in place of water, i use a cup or two of the hot beef gravy and whisk in the cornstarch til smooth. then add back into the crockpot to thicken)

if you used potatoes. you’re set. if you didn’t, make a pot of egg noodles or some white rice or maybe hollow out a small bread bowl! any way you like your carbs.

serve with a lovely glass of cabernet sauvignon and a crisp green salad. So satisfying ! Made with love.