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Amy's Global Kitchen Recipes's avatarAmy's Global Kitchen Recipes

Beef or Chicken Stew (Set and Forget)

If slow cooking/crock pot has ever felt intimidating, this is the recipe to start with. There's no browning, no fancy technique, and no babysitting. You chop some veggies, layer everything in the slow cooker, and walk away.
Print Recipe
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Soups, Stew
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb Cubed Beef
  • 1.5 lb Baby Potatoes or Yukon Gold cut into 1 in chunks
  • 4 Large Carrots peeled and cut into 1 in chunks
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2.5 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 bay leaves optional
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Method
 

  1. Peel and chop: Carrots, potatoes, onions, and mince the garlic.
  2. Add potatoes and carrots to the bottom of slow cooker and top with onion and garlic.
  3. Add the beef cubes and tuck in the 2 bay leaves (optional)
  4. Whisk 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp dried thyme into the 2.5 cups low sodium broth. Make sure the tomato paste is dissolved.
  5. Pour over everything. Do not stir and cover with the lid.
  6. Set slow to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. It is complete when the beef is fork tender and potatoes are soft.
  7. Remove the bay leaves. Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then stir it into the stew along with the 1 cups frozen peas.
  8. Switch the cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook 15 more minutes until the gravy thickens. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed. Serve over rice or with some bread.

Notes

Slow cooker settings: LOW 8-9 hrs (best, most tender) or HIGH 4-5 hrs, then HIGH for the final 15 min after thickening.
Don't lift the lid, keep the cooker between half and 3/4 full, and if the beef isn't fork-tender when time is up, it just needs another 30-60 minutes.
Swap Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They stay juicy through a long cook, which makes them much more forgiving than chicken breasts. Chicken Broth in the place of Beef Broth and no Worcestershire Sauce.