PD's Old-Time Beef Stew

I took Paula Dean's recipe for Old-Time Beef Stew and adapted it a bit to my family's preferences.  {For example, I included potatoes and peas in my version.} I was intrigued by the addition of ground cloves in her recipe.  I never would have thought to add something like that to a stew, but it works magically in the dish.  It is not overpowering, but does offer that extra something in terms of depth and flavor.  I, also, like that this comes together in just a couple of hours compared to my regular beef stew recipe that takes all day to cook.
 

  

This stew is very thick and hearty. So, it's very satisfying and perfect for the chillier months of the year.

 

NOTE:  I recommend really taking the time to sear the meat thoroughly. Doing so is the foundation for the rest of the recipe ... a good sear on the beef is needed for that rich depth of flavor that helps make this stew outstanding.

Yields 4 servings.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew - Prepped the Night Before

Ya wanna know what I adore about this recipe?  Well, of course, the first thing is that it is absolutely delicious!  But, there's a second (and maybe equally as awesome) aspect that I love.  The stew is all made in advance the night before you plan to cook it!  I know ... super fabulous, right?

It is prepped at night, thrown in the fridge and all you have to do is turn on the slow cooker in the morning.  I love that!  It means I don't have to be standing over the stove browning and searing the meat when I've barely had my first cup of coffee in the morning!  It means I don't have to wash and cut potatoes in my jammies before the sun is barely up.  It, also, means that I wake up to having no dishes to face bright and early and no work to really be done for this recipe!  Wohoo!

I went to bed with the kitchen all cleaned up and woke up being able to enjoy a care-free morning ... all while knowing dinner was taken care of.  I mean, how hard is it to set the insert into the slow cooker, dump in the already-prepped potatoes (more on that later), set the slow cooker for eight hours and walk away?

(Okay, so maybe I've had some mornings when those few, basic tasks would have seemed impossible, but that was probably back in my early-twenties ... and we won't go there.  I will tell ya that I probably wasn't prepping beef stew the night before either!)

The fact that it is pretty darn cold here in Michigan this week completely justifies some type of stew or soup simmerin' away in the slow cooker all day!  Another bonus - my son's fifth grade music program was the night we had this stew, so having dinner all ready to go meant less chaos in my house on a busy evening!