Beef Stew (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/4 lb bacon , diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 lbs beef (like chuck) cut into 1” cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, cleaned and cut in 1” chunks
• 1 1/2 cups onions, cut in 1” chunks
• 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves (or a tsp of fresh thyme leaves)
• 4-6 TBSP butter
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven type pot, heat oil over medium and add bacon and onion. Cook until onion is slightly browned. Remove bacon and onion to a dish and leave all the fat in the pot.
2. Dry the beef cubes and salt and pepper them. Dredge in flour and cook in fat in pot until nicely browned.
3. Add wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan scraping all the bits off the bottom.
4. Add broth, carrots, 1” chunk onions, reserved bacon and onions, garlic powder, and thyme.
5. Cover and simmer 2 – 2 ½ hours.
6. While it’s cooking, sauté the mushrooms in butter.
7. When the stew is almost done, add mushrooms and frozen peas.
8. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
9. Garnish with parsley when serving.
10. Note: I served this with sweet and white potatoes that I mashed together. It was such good comfort food, I’m sure you’ll love it.
For slow cooker
11. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium and add bacon and onion. Cook until onion is slightly browned. Remove bacon and onion to a dish and leave all the fat in the pan.
12. Dry the beef cubes and salt and pepper them. Dredge in flour and cook in fat in pan until nicely browned.
13. Add wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan scraping all the bits off the bottom. Pour into slow cooker. Leave the skillet to sauté the mushrooms later.
14. Add 1/2 cup of broth, carrots, 1” chunk onions, reserved bacon and onions, garlic powder, and thyme. You should not need the other 1 cup of broth.
15. Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.
16. In the last couple hours of cooking, sauté the mushrooms in butter. Add them and frozen peas.
17. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
18. Garnish with parsley when serving.