Hearty Beef Stew

This delicious beef stew is cozy, comforting, and hearty- the perfect dinner to enjoy on a chilly fall or winter evening! It's loaded with tender bites of beef, golden potatoes, carrots, red wine, onions, garlic, Worcestershire, herbs, and beef broth, and slow cooked in your crockpot for a few hours to make dinner time a breeze!

Who doesn't love a hearty bowl of beef stew? It's such a traditional fall and winter comfort food! This is the best variation of this comforting classic I have tried yet, the ingredients compliment each other beautifully, resulting in a very smooth and flavorful bowl of beef stew.

What You Will Need:

• beef stew meat- chuck roast is best

• yellow onion- diced

• baby potatoes- halved, Yukon gold potatoes are best

• carrots- cut into chunks

• garlic- minced

• red wine- cabernet sauvignon or merlot

• beef broth-

• tomato paste-

• Worcestershire sauce-

• spices- salt, black pepper, dried thyme, celery seed, bay leaves

• beef bouillon-

• cornstarch- thickening agent

Season the stew meat with salt, pepper, celery salt, and thyme. Add the flour and toss to coat.

Searing the Meat:

Searing the meat builds a depth of flavor and creates a base to cook the onions and garlic.

In a cast iron skillet on medium heat add 3 tbsp avacado oil. Add half of the beef and sear on all sides, this takes about 5 minutes, and transfer to your slow cooker, repeat with the second half of the meat.

Add the red wine into the hot skillet to deglaze the pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Pour into slow cooker.

Add in the potatoes, carrots, tomato paste, Worcestershire, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, and beef broth. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 7 hours.

Stir together the cold water and cornstarch to make a slurry. Add to the stew and stir. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. This step is optional, it slightly thickens the broth which in my opinion is a must though;)

You can serve this over rice or mashed potatoes, but we love it as is!