Picture Perfect Cooking

Today’s recipe is another great slow cooker recipe from The Southern Slow Cooker cookbook by Kendra Bailey Morris.  This dish doesn’t need much of an introduction because the flavor speaks for itself.  I made it on a cool and rainy Sunday and it was perfect comfort food!  This and a pan of cornbread is all you need for a hearty and healthy meal.

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices

2 large potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 1/2 cups beef broth, low sodium

15 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. Worcestshire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray.  Layer the onions, carrots, and potatoes in the cooker.  In a large zip top bag, combine the stew meat, flour, salt and pepper. Shake to coat the meat then discard the excess flour.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and stew meat to the pan.  Brown the meat well on all sides, then transfer the meat to the slow cooker. 

Add the beef broth to the hot skillet and scrape all of the leftover bits from the bottom of the pan.  Pour this over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker. 

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, sugar and Italian seasoning.  Stir everything together.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender and the stew is thick. 

Uncover, remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to your taste.  This is great served with hot cornbread or even garlic bread.