It’s that time of year again: time to throw on that cozy sweater, pull on your leaf-crunching boots and take a long, delicious sip of that pumpkin spice latte. Yes, fall is finally back, meaning it’s completely acceptable to spend all Sunday cuddled up on the couch watching football, start buying canned soup in bulk, and wear as many different shades of orange as humanly possible. But the best part about fall doesn’t have anything at all to do with what you wear or how you spend your weekend; the best part is that it’s officially slow cooker season again!
If you have never used a slow cooker before, drop what you’re doing and go pick one up right now. Once you have one, it’s essentially guaranteed that you’ll never want to cook with anything else again. Slow cookers are one of the easiest appliances that you can keep in your kitchen and are great for cooks of any skill level, since all you generally need to do for slow cooker recipes is throw in the ingredients, let them simmer for a few hours, and then them up!
Slow cooker recipes are also the perfect way to enjoy hearty fall meals without consuming all of the extra fat, sodium and calories that are typically associated with fall comfort foods. Since slow cooked meat cooks in its own juices, you generally don’t need to add anything extra, like creamed soups, sour cream or whipping cream, to get the filling, juicy meals that everyone craves in the cooler weather.
This recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Stew is the perfect dish to come home to after a long day at work or a chilly day outside. It only takes 15 minutes of hands-on time, so chop up your veggies before you leave in the morning and you’ll have a piping hot, delicious meal ready to eat by the time you get home. Try it out tonight!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups baby carrots (2 cups = about 8 oz)
- 2 cups sliced celery
- 1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled and cubed
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-size chunks
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 14.5 oz can Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 6 oz can Hunt’s® Tomato Paste
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 3-1/2 quart or larger slow-cooker with cooking spray.
- Place onion evenly on the bottom of the slow-cooker.
- Top with layers of carrots, celery, potatoes and meat; sprinkle with thyme.
- Pour undrained tomatoes and water over meat.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender.
- Stir in tomato paste; cover.
- Cook for 10 minutes more, then serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 40g
Tip: Feel free to experiment with spices and use whatever you have in your cupboard. Garlic, cumin,
rosemary and basil can all be added to this recipe, depending on your taste.
How long does beef stew last in the fridge? You can refrigerate your stew for up to 3-4 days before eating. For longer lasting leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to a month.
About Author:
Meredith writes on behalf of Hunt’s®. Whether you’re looking for slow cooker recipes or that perfect easy meatloaf recipe, Hunt’s has everything you need to help you out. Visit www.Hunts.com to start browsing through fall recipe collections.
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