Slow Cooker Surprise

Okay, okay, so it's beef stew, which is not all that surprising, really.  The main point is that I finally got a slow cooker, so you can expect lots of those recipes in the future. I want to try a chicken curry, next I think...  This recipe is definitely a whatever you've got on hand sort of recipe. I pretty much made it up as I went, but it sure turned out tasty!

What You'll Need

Supplies

Slow Cooker (at least 4qt)                                                                  Large mixing bowl

Cutting board                                                                  Spoon

Knife for chopping                                                          Measuring cups

Ingredients

1/2 large white onion                                                      Marjoram

1 large potato                                                                  Rosemary

1 lb stew meat                                                                 Thyme

1/4 cup flour                                                                   1 can green beans

1/3 red bell pepper                                                          1 can diced tomatoes

Baby carrots                                                                    1 tsp minced garlic

Chili powder                                                                   2 cups beef broth

Bay leaves                                                                       Salt and pepper

Now Let's Make Beef Stew!
Start by prepping your vegetables. Roughly chop 1/2 white onion and the potato (which you've totally scrubbed, right?). Place the two vegetables in the bottom of your slow cooker.

This layer prevents your meat from cooking its fat.

Next, place your 1 lb stew meat in the large mixing bowl, breaking it up with your spoon. Measure out 1/4 cup flour and pour it into the bowl with the meat. Stir the meat, allowing the flour to thoroughly coat each piece of stew meat. Add the stew meat to the slow cooker on top of the potatoes and onions.

The flour will help the meat brown (since we're not searing) and will thicken the stew 

Dice the 1/3 red bell pepper and add it on top of the meat. Also add a couple handfuls of baby carrots.

I know, I'm getting crazy technical here.

I like to add my spices next so that they're midway through the layers and cook into everything. Liberally dash chili powder around the mixture in the slow cooker. Next add bay leaves, I did a couple dashes of crushed leaves, because that's what I had on hand. If you're using whole leaves 2 should do. Add about 1 tsp marjoram, 1 tsp rosemary, and 1/2 tsp thyme. (I was not that precise, so feel free to loosen up a bit and do some dashes and pinches instead).

Herby

Open and drain the can of green beans and add it to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes along with there juice (aka don't drain those).

Top it all off with 2 cups beef broth, 1 tsp minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

Hmmm... broth appears to be camera shy...

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. At 10 hours switch setting to keep warm (I got off late the night I cooked this, so it cooked for 2 extra hours, which is why there's not as much liquid in the photo; it was still delicious.) Serve with a hearty bread and enjoy.  If you can't make it the morning of, whip it up the night before, and store it in the fridge, then transfer to the slow cooker in the morning.