Last weekend, I made a ridiculous number of recipes.
On Sunday, a friend and I got together to make a bunch of recipes that freeze well to stock our freezers for busy week days.
On Saturday, I borrowed my mom’s slow cooker for the weekend so that we would have two on hand. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make two slow cooker recipes at the same time on Saturday as well! I made this yummy Cooking Light recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Stew as well as a favorite recipe of mine — Chicken Cacciatore.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 medium yellow onions, roughly  chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 (12-ounce) nut brown ale (I used Samuel Smith’s)
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted beef stock, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds baby Dutch potatoes, halved
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add half of the beef to the pan, cooking for 6 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the beef browns on all sides.
Remove the beef from the pan and repeat with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and remaining beef. Remove beef and any juices from the pan and add to your slow cooker.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to your pan and swirl to coal. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the beer, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits . Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup beef stock, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 2/4 teaspoons pepper and bring to a simmer.
Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, thyme, and bay leaves.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
After 7 hours, combine the remaining 1/4 cup stock and flour, stirring with a whisk.
Turn your slow cooker to high and uncover. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Whisk the flour mixture into the stew and cook for 15 minutes in the slow cooker on high, or until thickened.
Stir in the mustard and red wine vinegar.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
If freezing, allow to cool completely before putting in your freezer.
The brown nut ale adds really nice flavor to the broth. The meat is so tender and the veggies are softer but still maintain their shape. I really like the addition of Dijon mustard at the end!
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 (12-ounce) nut brown ale (I used Samuel Smith’s)
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted beef stock, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds baby Dutch potatoes, halved
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add half of the beef to the pan, cooking for 6 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the beef browns on all sides.
- Remove the beef from the pan and repeat with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and remaining beef. Remove beef and any juices from the pan and add to your slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to your pan and swirl to coal. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the beer, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits . Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup beef stock, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 2/4 teaspoons pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
- After 7 hours, combine the remaining 1/4 cup stock and flour, stirring with a whisk.
- Turn your slow cooker to high and uncover. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Whisk the flour mixture into the stew and cook for 15 minutes in the slow cooker on high, or until thickened.
- Stir in the mustard and red wine vinegar.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
I am all about freezer meals now. I am due in about 3 weeks and am trying to have some variety on hand for little effort meals once the baby comes. Problem is whenever make a few I then want to use them now when I am tired 🙂
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This sounds wonderful and I’m making it tomorrow night! The question I have is: I don’t have Sherry (or any alcohol) is there something else I can use? I don’t want to buy a bottle use a little then have it go bad. I love your recipes and have tried quite a few of them.
Hi Paul!
There is no sherry in this recipe, although there is some beer. You can substitute beef broth or stock for the beer, but there will be a change in flavor from the original recipe.
Enjoy!