Crock Pot Chunky Beef & Potato Stew

Name: Crock Pot Chunky Beef & Potato Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 510 min
Total time: 525 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 pounds beef stew meat; 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 cups beef stock; 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes; 1.5 lb package Baby Boomer Little Potatoes (sliced in half); 1 medium onion (diced); 4 stalks celery (diced); 1 cup baby carrots; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp minced garlic; 1 bay leaf; salt & pepper (to taste); to thicken stew:; 3 tbsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp cold beef stock (or water)

September 14, 2016 by Brandie @ The Country Cook 30 Comments

Rib-sticking stew

With fall and winter approaching (I know, I know – not quite there yet! But I am thinking ahead) I like to come up with recipes that are good “fix-it and forget-it” crock pot meals. I have a good number of slow cooker recipes on here that can simmer and hang out for most of the day without worry. But, I also have a few that are technically crockpot recipes but they really are not the set-it and forget-it kind. Most importantly, with kiddos back in school and Mom and Dad working and trying to help with homework, getting housework caught up and all of the other things that fill our days – I figured making dinner should be one less thing to worry about.

All-in-one meal

This is one of those rib-sticking, all-in-one meals that gets better as it cooks. Best of all, the meat gets nice and tender the longer it cooks also. Plus, it’s affordable and makes enough for a family of 6. Almost all beef stew meat is very reasonable in price however the meat itself can be tough so cooking it slowly and on a low temperature really helps to tenderize the meat. And to add to the ease (and nutrition) of the meal, I am adding in these Baby Boomer creamer potatoes from The Little Potato Company.

Convenient

They already come pre-washed and you don’t need to peel them. How’s that for convenience?! All I do is slice them in half and they hold up really well to the longer cooking process. Also, did you know that if you over-salt a soup or a stew that potatoes will help soak up that extra sodium? So, in this dish, you can use a regular beef stock, and the sodium from that beef stock will help season and flavor the potatoes as they soak it all in. This 1.5 pound bag is the perfect size for this beef stew recipe.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups beef stock
1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (1.5 lb) package Baby Boomer Little Potatoes, sliced in half
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 cup baby carrots
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper, to taste

to thicken stew:
3 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cold beef stock (or water)

Cook’s Notes: If the stew meat is too large for your liking then cut it up into bite-sized pieces before cooking.

Directions:

Chop up the celery and onion and slice little potatoes in half.

Begin heating up the olive oil in a large skillet. I have a slow cooker that also has a saute setting so that I can brown meat so that’s what I am using here (saves on dishes!) In a bowl, mix together the stew meat with flour, salt and pepper (if using.)

Once your oil is super hot, add in half of the beef and brown it on both sides. We’re not cooking it through – just browning the outside of the meat. This just gives it a lot of flavor but if you don’t have time for this step, just skip it. Place the first batch of browned beef onto a plate and brown the second batch of beef.

Once all the meat is browned, place it in the bottom of your crockpot then pour in the beef stock, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce & balsamic vinegar and give it all a stir.

Then stir in Little Potatoes, celery, onion and carrots.

Sprinkle oregano, minced garlic and bay leaf on top.

Finally, stir again then cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Once it’s done cooking, it’s time to thicken it up with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together cornstarch with cold water or beef broth.

Pour mixture into the beef stew and stir well. Then cover and switch to the “high” setting. Let it cook on high for another half an hour to thicken up.

Finally, serve it up with some warm, crusty bread for soaking up those juices. Yum!

Disclosure: I am a proud ambassador for The Little Potato Company and all opinions are my own.

5 from 5 votes