Nothing like the crock pot to help with a busy weekend. Not sure how many times I’ve said that, or something like it, but it still rings true. The crock really is a life saver. Today we were home but had so much to do it was great to know Sunday Night Dinner would be ready and keep my house smelling great all day!
I started with Springdell stew beef in the bottom of the crockpot.
Next I used a few of the winter veggies I had in the fridge and on the counter.
2 parsnips to add creaminess, a turnip for a tiny bit of peppery flavor, and a sweet potato for color and, well, sweetness.
Get them all chopped up in to large but bite sized pieces. Lay them on top of the meat.
To that I added veggie broth, enough to almost cover the ingredients. This is why Jess and I save all of those veggie scraps, it really does make a difference to add veggie broth instead of plain water.
Salt, pepper, 2 bay leaves, and 4 whole but crushed garlic cloves. This will add a base of flavor for the cooking process. Final tasting and adjusting of flavor should happen just before serving.
I cooked this on low for about 6 1/2 hours. The veggies were tender and I was able to go through the meat with a spoon. Perfect. All that’s left is to thicken up the broth to make this a stew.
I like to add a paste of flour and butter to thicken a stew. You could also use the traditional slurry or cornstarch.
Thick, bubbling, and ready to eat. Toast up some crusty bread (gluten free in our house) and you have the perfect meal. Enjoy!
