Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

My search for a yummy beef stew on Cooking Light's website led to this yummy dinner from the OCtober 2005 issue of Southern Living.


Perhaps the best part of this meal was that there was NO work involved. I mean, you literally just dumped it all in the pot and that was it. Awesome. Totally awesome.

I really enjoyed the flavor and tenderness of this stew. I wasn't a huge fan of the frozen veggies I used (yep, totally went that route), but that was no fault of the recipe. Oh, I also totally forgot about the tomato paste, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

I served this over campanelle.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces*
• 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered*
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper, diced**
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes**
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker, and cook, covered, on LOW 7 hours and 30 minutes.

*2 (1-pound) packages frozen stew vegetables may be substituted for carrots and potatoes.
**1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions may be substituted for red bell pepper and diced tomatoes.

Yield: Makes 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 293 (23% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g); IRON 4.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 42mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26g; SODIUM 702mg; PROTEIN 31g; FIBER 4g

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2005