Thursday Night Stew

There has been no "perfect" time to make this stew, because it just hasn't been cold enough

to enjoy this kind of comfort food. But I couldn't get it out of my head, it just sounded so 

yummy, so I bit the bullet and made it. And it was so yummy!

It took some time, and I ended up putting it in the crockpot since I wouldn't be home to

monitor it on the stove. I think it turned out just fine. I bet you could just throw everything 

in the crockpot and let it cook that way if you wanted to.

{the actually recipe is called Sunday Night Stew because the author made it on Sunday for

dinner- obviously we made it on Thursday :) 

Ingredients

(for the stew)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 lbs. beef stew meat (chuck roast cut into chunks)

salt and pepper

1 whole medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. tomato paste (I used the whole 6 oz. jar)

4 cups low sodium beef stock/broth- more needed for thinning

several dashed worcestershire

1/2 tsp. sugar

6 whole carrots, peeled and diced

1 turnip, peeled and diced

(mashed potatoes- essential with this dish!)

5 lbs. russet potatoes (peeled and diced)

1 stick butter

1/2 c. cream/milk

salt and pepper to taste

(I added a few spoons full of sour cream)

Instructions

Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside. (If you are going to cook the stew in the crockpot, I would do this step regardless).

(you could then start the following steps in the crockpot): Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes.

Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.

(save this step for the last 30 minutes before dinner- the carrots and turnip will cook for the perfect amount of time in the crockpot): After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed!

When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end.

MASHED POTATOES

Cut the potatoes into quarters and cover with water in a large pot. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the same pot. With the heat on low, mash the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes to release as much steam as possible.

Turn off heat, then add butter, cream/milk, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve potatoes immediately or spread them into a buttered baking dish to be reheated later. To reheat, put them in a 375 degree oven, covered in foil, until hot.

GET IN MY BELLY!

recipe found at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/