This Crockpot beef stew is a cozy, flavorful dish with tender beef, hearty veggies, and rich gravy, perfect for any chilly day.
Ingredients :
2 pounds beef chuck roast or stewing beef
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 yellow onion chopped
4 cups beef broth divided, or beef stock *see note
3 cups diced potatoes peeled*
2 large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces, about 2 cups
3 ribs celery cut into 1-inch pieces, about 1 cup
1 cup vegetable juice such as V8
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
¾ cup frozen peas
salt and black pepper to taste
Directions :
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the beef in the flour mixture.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Place the beef in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the onion to the slow cooker.
Add 1 cup of beef broth (or red wine per the recipe notes below) to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits with a spatula.
Add the broth to the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme.
Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours or until beef is fork tender.
In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add to the stew a little bit at a time to thicken (you may not need all of the cornstarch mixture.) Stir in peas.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
