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An Easy Beef Stew That is Scrumptious and, Well. . .Easy

You can only screw this up on purpose!

Here is a hearty and filling meal in a fairly easy recipe for one of my favorites, Beef Stew. I usually make this on the weekend, in the morning, and double the recipe. It usually lasts the week and is easy to take for lunches (if you have a microwave at work) and is a quick, healthy, and filling dinner for those after-after-school sports dinners, when the kids get home hungry. Just heat it up and serve. Believe me when I say this is very difficult to screw up.

I’ll list the recipe that I use, which is very flexible and simple.

Stove Top Beef Stew

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil ( You can just pour an estimated amount in the pan, but not too much. You’ll add more to the pan if you have to cook the beef in smaller amounts.)

2 lbs. of Cubed Stew Beef ( I buy the pre-cut cubed beef, but usually end up cutting it into smaller pieces. When I double the recipe, I only use 3 lbs.)

1-32 oz Box of Beef Broth (Or two 16 oz boxes. Use 16 oz first, then add more to the pot if needed)

1-15 oz Can of Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes( I think they are actually 14.5 oz)

1-15 oz can of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes (14.5 oz You can add another if you like tomatoes. the spices add more flavor, too.)

1-6 oz Can of Tomato Paste (Buy an extra one in case you want it thicker)

1 Packet of Beef Stew Spices/Flavoring

1 Cup of flour (Roughly. It’s to coat the beef. I just pour some in a 1 gallon ziplock bag, then add more as needed.)

1 Tablespoon of ground black pepper

1-16 oz Bag of Frozen Vegetables of Your Choice (California Blend, Southwest Blend, etc. Use two bags if you want more veggies.)

1 lb of Baby Potatoes (I get the ones in the microwaveable box that are pre-cut and flavored so I don’t have to clean and cut them. If you get a bag of them, make sure you clean them well, cut them into bite sized pieces, usually quartered.)

Instructions

Get a large frying pan and put the olive oil in it to heat up. Use medium heat. While that is heating, pour 1/2 the flour and 1/2 the pepper into the one gallon ziplock bag, close the bag and shake to mix. Honestly, I don’t measure it out because I pretty much know what I need. Here’s why: you’re going to take the cubed beef and put a reasonable amount in the ziplock bag, then shake it up to coat the beef with the flour mixture.

Take the beef out of the bag and place in the pan of olive oil(don’t pour the beef into the pan because it may splatter hot oil, use a large spoon). I usually put a lid on the pan to keep the splatter down. Stir beef occasionally to get all sides seared. It doesn’t have to cook all the way through because when you mix it with all the ingredients, it will cook through as it boils and simmers.

Do this with all of the beef. You may have to replenish the flour and pepper in the bag. As you finish each batch of beef, put it in a large dutch oven or pot.

After the beef is done, open the cans of tomatoes and the paste and put it in the pot with the beef. I usually use a butter knife to get all of the paste out of the can. Do not drain the cans of tomatoes.

Add the frozen vegetables, then pour the first 16 ounces of the beef broth in the pot. If that is not enough to cover everything, add more. You can add as much as you want, depending on the thickness you desire. After you add the broth, add the seasoning packet. Once the ingredients are covered by the broth, mix everything and cover the pot and turn the heat to medium high until it boils, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. Once it boils, turn it down to simmer. I usually wait until it boils and everything is mixed before I add more tomato paste or broth.

Let it simmer for around 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The flour on the meat and the tomato paste will add thickness to the broth. Below is a photo I took of the last time I made it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in anticipation of this article, so the photo is a little rough.

Now, if you want fresh vegetables, you can literally add any type you like. For me, this just takes too long, and I don’t like to take the time to cut things up. But when I do add fresh veggies, I use baby carrots, broccoli, beans, and peas. Sometimes, I will even use canned veggies, drained.

If you decide to make this, buy extra tomato paste, can of Italian Style Tomatoes, and an extra seasoning packet just in case you want it thicker, tomato-er, or more seasoned. I also like to add two bags of different veggies. In the above picture I used Southwest style, which had onions and peppers in Cooking|Grillingit, and standard mix (peas, carrots, beans, and corn). I use more broth, to, because I add these extras.

Make sure to add one other important ingredient. Get some fresh french bread, or make some oven rolls, or whatever bread you like. Heat it up, put lots of butter in it and dunk it in the stew. Some like cornbread or crackers, as well.

I hope this works for you! If you do screw it up, you didn’t get this from me.