If you know me, you know I love coming up with healthier takes on food, even comfort food. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy and beef stew is his holy grail of comfort food. When I make his beloved beef stew, nothing else matters except for those deliciously tender chunks of beef. velvety smooth pillows of potato along with the ensemble of stew veggies that melt in your mouth with every bite. We can’t forget about that deep, rich savory sauce…
Because it’s all about the sauce. I think it’s pretty safe to say that when it comes to feeding a true comfort food connoisseur, saucy beefy things are a big BIG DEAL.
This recipe is all about convenient home cooked comfort food. No endless hours in the kitchen, no huge pile of dirty dishes that won’t do themselves…just some minor chopping, mixing and setting the slow cooker. Whether you are a busy mom always on the go, cooking isn’t your thing, or you’re new to this healthy lifestyle stuff, the slow cooker is your best friend here.
It’s a struggle to maintain the balance of a healthy lifestyle this time of year. As the holidays come and go, and our year comes to a close, cooking another labor intensive meal is the last thing we want to do. It’s okay to make things easier on yourself. Plug in your slow cooker with pride and let it do the work for you…you can even skip the dishes.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- slow cooker
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- mini whisk
- small bowl/ramekin
- serving bowls/air tight storage containers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lean stew meat
- 1 lb red or yellow baby potatoes halved or quartered
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 1/2 cup carrots sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Kosher/sea salt
- coarse ground pepper
Instructions
- Place the stew meat in the slow cooker. Add baby potatoes, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Pour wine over the mixture. In a measuring cup, whisk the tomato paste in the beef broth until smooth. Stir the broth mixture into the slow cooker cavity.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of cold water and cornstarch. Gently stir until the cornstarch has dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add the bay leaves and dried thyme, then season the stew mixture with salt and pepper. Cover the stew with a lid and turn heat on the low setting, and let cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
