If you love beef stews, this is one to make at some point! I always marinade the stew meat for a couple days, so we typically know we are going to make this at least a week in advance to prepare. I also do not brown the meat beforehand… it cooks in the crockpot from a raw state.
Marinade *Optional* – if you do not do this, be sure to add the minced garlic and liquid smoke to the stew when you make it:
- 1 can beer
- Red wine (a splash)
- Soy sauce (5-6 shakes)
- Worcestershire sauce (5-6 shakes)
- Garlic Salt (if I had to guess, maybe 1 1/2 tsp?)
- Minced Garlic (1 small spoon)
- Cumin (1 tsp)
- Liquid Smoke (1 TBSP)
- Any other seasonings you’d like to use!
I typically do not measure when I marinade anything – place above in a ziploc bag, add your meat, close and make sure nothing is leaking out. Place on a plate in the fridge for at least 2 days before making the beef stew.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs stew meat
- 4 cups onions, quartered – I did these the night before and added them to the marinaded stew meat.
- 4 cups carrots, sliced – I did these the night before and put in a bowl of water
- 4 cups potatoes, cubed – I did these the night before and put in a bowl of water
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes (not pictured)
- Garlic Salt
- Cumin
- Any other seasonings
- Cornstarch
- **optional – celery, mushrooms, corn
Directions:
- If you marinaded the stew meat, dump the whole bag into the crockpot – yes, liquid and all.
- If you prepared the carrots and potatoes the night before, drain and add to the crockpot.
- Add the tomato paste, beef broth, beef bouillon cubes.
- For the garlic salt, cumin and any other seasonings, I sprinkled these on top of everything before stirring. I did not measure.
- Stir and set on low for 6-8 hours.
- If you are home while this is cooking, stir every so often. If not, it will be fine.
- About 30 minutes – 1 hour before this is ready, scoop some liquid into a bowl or little cup and then add corn starch. I used a small spoon and put 2-3 spoonfuls in with the liquid in the cup. Use a fork to stir until there are no clumps. It is OK if it is a much lighter color than the stew – this is used to thicken it. The thicker the liquid/cornstarch mix, the thicker the stew will eventually be. Add to stew and stir until combined – place lid back on crockpot. Do not put the cornstarch directly in the stew – there would be a very high chance of there being clumps of cornstarch.
- About 10 minutes later, check the stew and see if it needs more cornstarch. If the liquid runs off the spoon like water, you need to add more cornstarch. Repeat step 7 above if needed. Once the liquid drips off of the spoon, you do not need to add more. Be careful not to add too much cornstarch!
- Feel free to check the stew meat – if the temperature is safe on it and the vegetables are all tender, it is ready to eat!
I made dinner roles and quinoa to have with this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking for some ways to make extra money or earn gift cards? Check out the list below! Some links may be affiliate related, which earns me a bonus and possibly you as well!
ReceiptPal – simply take pictures of your receipts and earn points for gift cards
Receipt Hog – simply take pictures of your receipts and earn points for an Amazon gift card, PayPal payout, or Visa Prepaid card payout. You also can earn points to take surveys from the purchases made, and be rewarded spins when snapping at least one receipt every week! Since 2014, I have redeemed $160 worth of payouts.
iBotta – one of the first apps I used for rewards in 2013. This is a favorite of mine since you learn about so many new products out there… if you are wanting to try that new seasoning, why not get money back as well? Since 2013, I have earned $1,124.59.
Achievement– use a Fitbit or other type of tracker? Check out Achievement. It will count your steps and earn you points, which can be redeemed for an Amazon gift card.
Paidviewpoint – Do you love taking surveys, but not spending too much time doing so? This is a great one to join, if you haven’t already.
Fetch Rewards – Simply scan your receipt and receive points that can earn you amazon gift cards.
Inbox Dollars – Paid to click emails, surveys, money for certain items on receipts, and more!
Crowdtap – Some surveys are super quick to take – get points and redeem for gift cards.
Food and Drink Lover Blog 