Julia Child made it fancy with her iconic Boeuf Bourguignon. But you don’t have to get fancy to make a delicious, satisfying good old-fashioned Beef Stew. With a half a dozen vegetables, some good stew meat, a packet of dry soup mix and a few seasonings, you can’t help but have one heck of a hearty meal! With our chilly winter evenings, Beef Stew is the perfect tummy warming comfort food and it’s about the easiest dish you can cook up! There are a few tips to making this recipe fantastic. First, grab a good stew meat. I prefer chuck roast because it has a bit of fat which adds a lot of flavor. (I have tried sirloin or other higher end cuts, but the chuck roast seems to offer the most flavor.) Once you cut it in cubes, dredge the meat in flour and brown in a skillet before adding to the Crockpot, Instant Pot or Dutch oven. After the stew is done, taste it, and if it needs a bit more flavor, just add a little beef bouillon. If you haven’t had Beef Stew in a while, make this recipe and you’ll be reminded of why it will always be one of America’s favorite family dishes!
Servings |
- 2 pounds stew meat in 2 inch cubes (like chuck roast)
- 1 1/2 cups flour (for dredging)
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, cut in 2 inch pieces
- 2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
- 2 cups baby carrots (or regular carrots cut into 2 inch lengths
- 1 1/2 cups corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
- 1 1/2 cups peas (canned or frozen)
- 1 packet French's Onion Soup dry mix
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups water
- beef bouillon (optional, for added flavor. I prefer Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
Ingredients
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- Heat the oil in a skillet. When hot, dredge the stew pieces in flour and then place in hot skillet. Brown stew meat on all sides, leaving a little space in between pieces to insure proper browning. Place stew meat in a Crockpot, Instant Pot or Dutch oven.Add the onion, potatoes, corn, green beans, peas, soup mix, thyme, salt pepper and water. For the Crockpot, cook for about 6 hours on high. For Dutch oven, cook over medium heat for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn. For Instant Pot, refer to instructions. (Meat should be very tender.) When beef stew is done, taste for flavor. If the stew needs more beef flavor, add 2 teaspoons or a tablespoon of Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Beef Base, found at most grocery stores. You can also use beef bouillon cubes)