Easy Crockpot Beef Stew
We might as well face it. It’s Fall. It’s time to pull out the warm socks, the headbands, and winter coats. Dig out the windshield scrapper, the remote car starters, and prep the winter tires. Bust out the crockpots, roasting pans and dutch ovens. It’s time to get cozy.
Of course, Fall wouldn’t be Fall without stick-to-your-ribs, fill-you-to-the-brim, make-you-feel-all-warm-and-cozy comfort food. Whether it be a gooey grilled cheese sandwich or a beautifully braised rabbit, comfort meals make the cool Fall days a little more bearable. Take this hearty beef stew for instance… there is nothing more comforting than walking into a kitchen filled with the aromas of a slowly simmering beef stew. Or in my case (since I work from home) slowly having the rich fragrance creep its way into my office during the day… almost luring me to the kitchen to take a peek (or a few bites!).
Easy Crockpot Beef Stew
This beef stew is as easy as “set it and forget it!” Simply toss all your meat, veggies and seasonings into the crockpot and simmer on low all day. By dinner you’ll have a fragrant and delicious Fall meal the family will love. Any leftovers can be packaged up and refrigerated, and believe me, this stew is even better the next day!
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. stewing beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
6-8 small new potatoes, quartered or diced
1 package (8oz) sliced crimini mushrooms
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp herbs de provence
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper
2 ½ cups beef stock
3 tbsp flour (optional)
Directions
1. Combine beef, onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, garlic, herbs, allspice, salt & pepper and beef stock in crockpot. Give it one big stir to ensure all the seasonings are evenly distributed. Set crockpot to low and cook stew for 6-8 hours.
2. In the last hour of cooking, remove lid and sprinkle in flour. Stir until well combined. This will help to thicken the stew. If you prefer your stew a little runnier, you can omit the flour.
3. Serve hot with a slice of crusty bread for mopping up all the beefy goodness!
For those of you who are looking for a little Fall styling advice, you can head on over to my guest post on the Food Bloggers of Canada blog where I am sharing all my tips & must-have items for styling a Fall table. You won’t want to miss it!
Happy comfort food season!
