Moist and savory!
I love beef stew. I typically like to make it in my crock-pot with store-bought gravy. But this time I wanted to see if I could make an easy beef stew in my French Oven from Le Creuset. This turned out delicious and the whole family loved it! It is a perfect Sunday dinner easy meal.
Easy beef stew
2 lbs. cubed stew beef (get it on sale!)
1/4 cup flour
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water
1 can Campbell's Beefy Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup beef broth
3 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup fresh green beans, strung & snapped
I like to use my french oven to slow cook meals on my stove top, but you can make this in your large stew pot too. Just make sure to stir often so the bottom doesn't stick. That's the great thing about the cast iron, it holds it's heat so well, it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Heat the olive oil in the pot, and brown the beef cubes. Add the flour and stir until combined. Scoop out beef into a bowl, set aside.
Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf to the pan. Cook until onions are tender, then add water and scrape the bottom of the pan to get the beef bits off. This is called deglazing the pan. Gradually add the beefy mushroom soup to the pan, then pour the beef back in. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour.
Meanwhile chop your carrots, then peel your potatoes and cube them. Snap your green beans into bite size pieces, and trim the edges off the ends, making sure to get the strings out.
Add to beef mixture and simmer an additional 30 minutes, or until your veggies are tender. Make sure to take out the bay leaf. Serve hot in bowls with fresh bread!
What's cooking in your neck of the woods? Recipes you would like to share? Foods that are new and interesting? Email me.
Do you like this easy meal? You'll love a few other favorites:
Parmesan pork chops recipe
Easy sloppy joes
Creole shrimp bisque recipe
Comments
Sounds nice - I'll try it but withouht the store-bought soup.
Frank-sure! Instead of the soup I would add a cup or so of beef broth with the beef, then cook on med-high to reduce and create gravy instead. Then follow directions as normal.
I love cooking with soups, because it helps cut corners and time, but feel free to ask what you could add instead of them!
Also, without the soup- you'll need to taste test and season with pepper and salt. The soup adds spices you will want to replace.
It's that time of year again!
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