Beef Stew Slow Cooker Variations

 

• Beef Stew Ingredients (Martha Stewart style)
• Serves 6
• 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
  ⅓ cup tomato paste
  3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  Coarse salt and ground pepper
  1 pound medium onions (about 2), diced
  1 potatoes, peeled, diced
  1 pound carrots, diced
  6 garlic cloves, smashed
  2 bay leaves
• Slow Cooker Instructions:

  1. 1. Place the beef in a 5-quart slow cooker.

  1. 2. Distribute tomato paste, vinegar, and flour over beef; season generously with salt and pepper. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves.

  1. 3. Cover slow cooker; cook on high until beef is fork-tender, about 5 hours (or cook on low heat 8 hours). Taste to see if it needs more salt before serving.
  2. Gourmandise Style: Replace potato with 4 cups diced butternut squash and replace the carrots with 1 cup diced prunes.
  3.