Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Ever!
Are you a meat and potatoes lover? Crazy about your slow cooker? Suffering through these long wintry days?
If you’ve developed a craving for something delicious and filling to take the edge off the cold weather, look no further.
This recipe serves 4-6 and takes 5-7 hours in the slow cooker on HIGH. Another option is 8-10 hours on LOW.
In the case of slow cooking, longer on a lower setting is always better. I recommend an all-day slow cook, or an overnight slow cook.
It is “done” when the meat is tender and falling into pieces and the potatoes are soft, but not falling apart.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of cubed beef stew meat (usually labeled this way at the butcher)
- 1/2 cup of gluten free flour (blend or rice is fine)
- 1 tsp salt + additional as needed
- 1 tsp pepper + additional as needed
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup of diced onion
- 2 Tbsp crushed garlic
- 1/2 cup of red wine (dry)
- 2 1/2 cups of gluten free beef broth
- 12 oz gluten free cream of mushroom soup (Pacific Natural Foods)
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup of diced potatoes (with or without peel)
- 1 cup of diced carrots
- 1/2 cup of fresh, chopped parsley
Directions:
- Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl and toss the beef cubes in the flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides
- Heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium/high heat in a large saute pan and until all sides are lightly browned (about 5-7 minutes total). Remove meat and place in slow cooker.
- Add the rest of the oil to the pan and saute the onions and garlic over medium/high heat until the onions are clear (about 2 minutes)
- Add the wine and beef broth to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the soup, Worcestershire sauce, and additional salt and pepper (to taste). Stir together until smooth over medium heat.
- Add the chopped potatoes, carrots and parsley to the meat
- Pour the wine sauce on top (if it doesn’t cover the meat all the way, add additional beef broth)
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or longer)
*The longer this cooks, the better it is. However, make sure to stir it every three to four hours so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
If you test this along the way, don’t get too crazy by adding a lot of additional salt and pepper. The flavors don’t really start coming through until right near the end.
I did this overnight and the aroma kept waking me up. Guess what I had for breakfast today? 
Mmmm. This looks fabulous! We definitely need some comfort food over here in freezing snowy Germany! Thanks, I can't wait to make it.
Jenn
I'm always looking for slow cooker recipes especially during the winter. Considering its been so cold here in Iowa its nice to serve up a nice warm winter meal. I think my husband is gonna love this one!