The Painted Apron

Take out Tuesday, Beef Stew

Posted by the Painted Apron on October 9, 2012 · 7 Comments 

I’m sure you probably have a tried and true recipe for Beef Stew that is amazing and your family loves…I won’t try to convince you that mine is better, I’m sure yours is delicious…Here’s the thing, mine takes LESS than 5 minutes to prepare.  Yep, less than 5!  Please don’t tell HH or HHjr, they love this stuff and are so appreciative when I make it…but hey, some days you just need some short cuts, so I thought I’d let you in on my little secret…

All you need is some beef stew meat, I buy mine pre cut into cubes, red potatoes, carrots, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Onion soup or dried Onion soup mix and some wine, dash of steak sauce, S & P.

I cut the largest potatoes in 1/2, and that’s it! Ready to go into the crock pot!

Spray the slow cooker liberally with cooking oil spray and place the potatoes onto the bottom.  Top with the meat and season with S & P and drizzle with steak sauce.

Put the baby carrots on top of the meat

Spread with Cream of Mushroon soup

And top with Onion Soup*

*NOTE: I used some leftover homemade onion soup, but usually I sprinkle a package of dried Onion soup mix over the beef and add a cup of wine or cooking sherry and ten top it with the Cream of Mushroom soup.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring after 5 or 6 hours if you’re around.  If not, just stir it when you get home a few minutes before serving, just to make sure everything is happy.

It’s not pretty…

Not going to win any awards for presentation…

Just good, old fashioned comfort food…

A real man pleaser…

Make enough to have some to freeze for another night or to share with a hungry friend!

Here’s the recipe:

Easiest Ever Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• slow cooker

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb. beef stew meat cubed
• 6 red potatoes
• 2 handfuls of baby carrots
• steak sauce [I always use Dale’s]
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 package Lipton Dry Onion soup mix
• 1 cup cooking sherry or wine*
• salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Spray interior of slow cooker with cooking oil spray.
• Cut potatoes in half if they are large and place on bottom of cooker.
• Top with meat. Drizzle meat with steak sauce and season with salt & pepper. If using dried onion soup mix, sprinkle over meat now.
• Top meat with carrots.
• Spread Mushroom soup over top and pour in onion soup
• Set cooker on low for 8 hours. Stir once or twice if convenient, and right before serving.
• This makes 3-4 servings and can easily be doubled.

Notes

*OR 1 can French Onion Soup

OR 1 1/2 cups homemade onion soup

Keyword beef stew, easy stew, slow cooker beef stew

*NOTE: for more information on Dale’s please see post August 13, 2012