BEST EVER BEEF STEW

This Beef Stew is the #1 most popular recipe on my blog & my readers agree – it’s the BEST EVER! 

See all those colors?  You can almost inhale the richness of the stew just by looking at the photo.  Seriously, ya’ll.  It’s amazing.  Addictive,  and amazing.  Once you make it, you won’t be able to go back to any other recipe.

I use beef demi-glace in this recipe, which you can find online here if you aren’t sure if your local store has it.  The demi glace adds so much flavor to the stew; one that your traditional beef broth or stock really can’t beat.  However; if you don’t want to buy demi-glace and don’t have any on hand – you can substitute some Swanson Flavor Boostedit: It seems as if many of you can no longer find the Swanson Flavor Boost. If you can’t find beef demi-glace, then you can substitute Better than Bouillon in Beef.

It starts off with a nice coating of flour & seasoning salt on the stew meat & then it gets seared off in a pan before getting placed in the slowcooker.  The onions are also added to the skillet, and then the whole thing is deglazed with some of the liquid in the recipe.  Afterwards, it cooks all day on low in your slowcooker…and fills your whole house with some pretty amazing smells.

Which reminds me – when making this stew, please lock your doors.  Deadbolt them too. Your neighbors may just burst right in and try stealing your stew. If you don’t follow my advice & leave your doors unlocked – don’t blame me when you fall victim to stew-lifting.

This Beef Stew is the #1 most popular recipe on my blog & my readers agree – it’s the BEST EVER!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 heaping teaspoons beef demi-glace (or beef Swanson Flavor Boost or Better than Bouillon)
• 4 medium to large red skinned potatoes, washed & diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled & sliced
• 1 stalk celery, diced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Shake the beef stew meat in a resealable plastic bag with the flour & seasoning salt until evenly coated. Heat the olive oil in a skillet; add the floured stew meat to the pan & brown on all sides. Remove using a slotted spoon or tongs & place into the bottom of a slow cooker. Season with pepper.
2. Saute the diced onion in the same hot skillet for 2 minutes. Don’t worry about cleaning it out in between – that’s added flavor! Transfer the onions into the slow cooker as well. Pour the Worcestershire sauce, water, & beef demi glace (or Swanson Flavor Boost or Better than Bouillon) into the skillet and whisk until mixed, making sure you scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat & set aside.
3. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, celery, & bay leaves to the slow cooker. Now, pour the broth/Worcestershire mixture in the crockpot as well. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Recipe Source:mrshappyhomemaker.com