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Beef Stew

Put everything in your crockpot and let it cook 8 - 10 hours.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 can beef consommé
  • 1 cup water or use 2 cups homemade bone broth
  • 1 can of stewed tomatoes with their liquid
  • 6 medium carrots roughly chopped, or one small bag of baby carrots
  • 1 12 - 16 oz bag of frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar or some combination thereof
  • 1 T brown sugar
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 1 Tbs Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Fresh parsley and minced red onion for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Put everything in your slow cooker and stir to combine. Analyze ratios and see if you want more carrots, peas, tomatoes, etc. (It is hard to have too many peas.)
  • Set your slow cooker for 8 - 10 hours on low.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and minced red onions.
  • Serve with a sturdy, rustic bread suitable for dipping in the broth.

Notes

You can use canned peas. Consider other vegetables such as green beans. If you add potatoes, add them near the end of cooking. They will turn into mush if they start with everything else. Chopped fresh onion and chopped fresh garlic are nice touches. I've decided the powdered stuff tastes great and leaves nothing to clean up, so powdered garlic and onion it is. Some people like to use a bag of frozen pearl onions. I intend to one day use a larger cut of beef and sear it before dumping everything in the slow cooker. 
There are so many ways to make this stew your own - here are a few from my readers/friends. Add mushrooms. Use fire-roasted tomatoes instead of stewed tomatoes. Get your stew meat in large chunks and sear it. Serve it over barley, rice, egg noodles, or tortellini.