Crock Pot Beef Stew

By spend with pennies

Ingredients

2 pounds beef chuck roast ( or stewing beef)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion (chopped)
4 cups beef broth (or beef stock *see note)
3 cups potatoes (peeled* and cubed)
2 cups carrots (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 cup celery (cut into 1 inch pieces)
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 peas
salt and black pepper (to taste)

Prep Time30mins
Cook Time240mins
Servings8

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. 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 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 & pepper to taste.