Lately I’ve been in-love with our Crock-pot. On cold winter days meals like this are cozy comfort food for the whole family. Beef-stew and Crock-pots go hand-in-hand and you might already have your version of the stew, however I urge you to try this version. It is the hearty blend of vegetables, meat and flavor.

This recipe makes a lot of stew, so either you have two meals or one meal to give away. I recently made this recipe for a neighbor in need of a meal. It was well received and greatly reviewed. This recipe, as many do, definitely tastes better as a left over. The flavors saturate and blend.

To make the night before or a day in advance, prepare the recipe through step 2. Instead of adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, refrigerate them, but be sure to store the browned meat in one container and the sautéed vegetables and liquid in another container. In the morning, add the chilled ingredients to the slow cooker, then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, potatoes, and carrots to the slow cooker, cover, and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will run to the high-end of the range given in the recipe.

(5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces.  Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped medium
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 by leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 pounds red potatoes (6 medium), scrubbed
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1. Dry the beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the beef, about 10 minutes, then add to a 6-quart slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons oil and the remaining beef.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the empty skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then pour into the slow cooker.
3. Add the chicken broth, 1½  cups of the beef broth, the bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker. Nestle the potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker around the edges. Cover and cook,  until the meat is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
4. When the meat is tender, remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves. Set the slow cooker to high (if necessary). Whisk the flour with the remaining ½ cup of beef broth until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker.
5. Quarter the potatoes and return them to the slow cooker. Stir in the peas. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer. Before serving, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crock-pot Beef Stew

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

7 hours

Total time

8 hours

 

Make in a 6-quart slow-cooker. To Make Ahead: The night before or day in advance, prepare the recipe through step 2. Instead of adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, refrigerate them, but be sure to store the browned meat in one container and the sauteed vegetables and liquid in another container. In the morning, and the chilled ingredients to the slow cooker, then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, potatoes, and carrots to the slow cooker, cover, and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will run to the high end of the range given in the recipe.

Author: America's Test Kitchen

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• (5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces. Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped medium
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 by leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 pounds red potatoes (6 medium), scrubbed
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Dry the beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the beef, about 10 minutes, then add to the slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons oil and the remaining beef.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the empty skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then pour into the slow cooker.
3. Add the chicken broth, 1½ cups of the beef broth, the bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker. Nestle the potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker around the edges. Cover and cook, on either low or high, until the meat is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
4. When the meat is tender, remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves. Set the slow cooker to high (if necessary). Whisk the flour with the remaining ½ cup of beef broth until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker.
5. Quarter the potatoes and return them to the slow cooker. Stir in the peas. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer. Before serving, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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