New England Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe: Hearty, tender beef stew simmers all day long in the slow cooker. Rich gravy with tender beef, carrots, onions and potatoes. This easy and delicious stew is on our regular dinner menu rotation all winter long and my boys love it.

A Nor’easter descended on us here in New England earlier in the week. Snow was expected in large quantities. As you may know, we get kind of excited around here. To us, a snowstorm is the perfect opportunity to stay in, hunker down and enjoy family time. Good books, movies, popcorn, hot chocolate. That’s what was on the menu.

Unfortunately those of us in southern New Hampshire didn’t get much snow out of the storm this time around. It was more like sleet, rain and ice. And thankfully, we never lost power. But it still made for a great bonus day inside and the boys were thrilled for a day off from school. This New England Slow Cooker Beef Stew was simmering all day.

A snow day is the perfect day for beef stew. It smells divine as the aroma wafts through the house. (So tempting!) You want to snatch a little morsel as it simmers…and hope no one comes around the corner to catch you redhanded!

The stew meat is tender, as are the veggies. The rich gravy is perfectly seasoned with Worcestershire, minced garlic, paprika and a surprise ingredient: ketchup! A dash of allspice adds flavor.

This New England Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe is a great dish to come together and enjoy around the table as twilight sets in and the shoveling, sledding and snow ball fights are over.

Sear the beef in batches on the stovetop over high heat for several minutes. Turn often, ’til the meat is no longer pink. Add it to the slow cooker. (And don’t wash that frying pan! The meat juices, drippings and little brown bits are essential for the gravy you’ll be making next.)

Combine gravy ingredients in the frying pan and bring to a boil until just thickened. Add chopped veggies to the seared beef in the slow cooker, distributing evenly. Pour gravy over all. Cover and cook on low heat for seven to eight hours.

This New England Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe smells and tastes absolutely delicious! It’s what we love in our bowls at dinnertime on a frigid, snowy day. Hope you try this recipe and let me know how you like it!

(This recipe was adapted from an ancient Better Homes and Gardens beef stew recipe.)

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New England Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

New England Beef Stew cooks all day in the crock pot. A hearty, flavorful stew with rave reviews.

Course Main Dish

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef chuck or stew meat cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• dash of ground allspice or cloves
• 1/4 cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 4 potatoes peeled and quartered
• 3 large onions peeled and quartered lengthwise

Instructions

• Heat vegetable oil in large frying pan over medium high heat.
• Sear (brown on the outside only) stew meat in batches, turning often.
• Place browned meat in 3 quart crockpot.
• DON'T WASH THE FRYING PAN!
• Separately, in frying pan, combine worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, bay leaf, salt, paprika, hot water, pepper, allspice and ketchup. Whisk well and bring to a boil.
• Combine 1/4 cup water with 1 tablespoon flour.
• Whisk flour mixture into the boiling gravy. Boil for one minute, stirring all the while.
• Remove from heat.
• Place all prepared vegetables in the crockpot, mix well with a large spoon.
• Pour gravy over all.
• Cook on low in covered 3 quart crockpot for seven - eight hours, stirring several times throughout.

Notes

I often double this recipe and cook in a 6 quart crockpot. (We like leftovers.)
For thicker gravy, add an extra tablespoon flour to gravy mixture.

You may also like: Apple Cider Caramelized Onion Soup

The post New England Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hi friends! The east coast just got a boatload of snow this past weekend. And Poor Man’s Beef Stew makes a wonderfully quick and easy bowlful to savor on a snowy day. Or any winter day. The magic of this tender beef stew recipe is you don’t have to brown the stew meat first. I know, it’s hard to believe. And it’s such an incredible timesaver. Amazingly, the stew meat cooks for just two hours and turns out fork tender, scout’s honor.

Just imagine coming in after shoveling or a wicked snowball fight to a bowl of this steaming deliciousness. Hope you’re having fun and enjoying the snow if you got some, though I know it’s a lot of work for the shovelers. Somehow New Hampshire got by-passed on the white stuff this time around. And call me crazy, but I’m just a little disappointed to miss out on a mandatory hibernation. Hint: I’m always looking for an excuse to stay in. (Thinking of the the blizzard of ’78! Remember?)

So as I mentioned, the really amazing thing about this Poor Man’s Beef Stew is you don’t brown the meat first. Nope. Saves a lot of time and mess. I have another stew recipe here on the blog, New England Beef Stew. You brown the stew meat first for that recipe. I really do love that stew, but browning the meat first before putting it in the slow cooker is a time consuming step. You’re going to be amazed at how tender and flavorful the beef and veggies are in this Poor Man’s Beef Stew that cooks for only two hours in the oven. It’s nothing short of a miracle.

The flavorful gravy comes together effortlessly with some surprise ingredients: quick cooking tapioca, diced tomatoes and cubed bread. I know I know. Crazy. Crazy good! 

Poor Man’s Beef Stew is a great beef stew recipe when you’re craving homemade beef stew but don’t have all day to wait for it in the slow cooker or oven. Or if you don’t have time to get it going first thing. I love beef stew in fall and winter, hope you do too!

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Poor Man's Beef Stew

This is a wonderful time saver. Savory beef stew in flavorful gravy that cooks for just a few hours. And you don't have to brown the meat first!

Course Main Dish

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 2 cans 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups water
• 6 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat cut into 1" cubes
• 4 medium carrots cut into chunks (or one 16-ounce bag baby carrots)
• 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into eighths
• 8 ounces baby button fresh mushrooms washed and sliced or left whole
• 1 medium onion cut into chunks
• 2 slices bread cubed
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional garnish: fresh thyme or rosemary

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, water, tapioca, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
• Pour into a greased Dutch oven or 4 quart baking dish.
• Cover tightly with lid or foil and bake at 375° for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are fork tender.
• Adjust seasoning and serve in bowls.

You may also like: Chicken Scampi

The post Poor Man’s Beef Stew appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.