French Onion Beef Stew

Day two of Hello Fresh recipes. It's a bit warm today for stew, but it's what was on the menu so I went with it. 

This recipe was labeled "difficult" and I guess if you're new to cooking it can be. But frankly, stews (and soups) are among the easiest dishes to prepare. 

I do not recommend salting as much as it says to salt in every layer. I only salted the onions to help them caramelize. I didn't salt the meat and didn't salt at every stage they suggest. At the end of cooking, I tasted and it was plenty salty. 

The "croutons" of this dish were weird. The instructions don't say anything about toasting them before you put the cheese on them and stick them under the oven. I wish I had toasted them. They were flimsy and a bit soggy. Which may be what they're going for with French onion soup stew, but I wanted them crunchier. 

Overall, this was a three star meal for me. My stew is better. What I did like is that all the ingredients were sorted and measured so I didn't have to buy an entire bottle of thyme.

French Onion Beef Stew

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 lb beef for braising
• 2 onions, sliced
• 12 oz potatoes (Yukon gold are good for this)
• 2 large carrots, sliced at a diagonal
• 1 T flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 5 c beef stock
• 2 demi baguettes
• 4 slices swiss cheese

Halve, peel, and thinly slice onions. 

Dice potatoes into 1-inch pieces. 

Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1-inch-thick pieces.

 In a medium bowl, combine beef, flour, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to coat. 

Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add coated beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl used for seasoning.

Melt 4 TBSP butter in pot used for beef over medium heat. Add onions and 1⁄4 cup water; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 8-10 minutes.

TIP: Be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot as onions cook! 

Add garlic powder, thyme, 2 tsp sugar and a splash of water; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 2-3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Add beef, potatoes, and carrots to pot with onions. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Add Worcestershire sauce, 5 cups beef stock. Stir to combine.

Bring stew to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. [JW note: I did not cover mine. It felt like too much liquid for only 45 minutes of cooking. Uncovered worked perfectly.] 

Cook until beef is cooked through and veggies are tender, stirring halfway through, 40-45 minutes. 

While stew cooks, adjust oven rack to top position; heat broiler to high. 

Cut each baguette crosswise into 8 rounds for a total of 16 rounds. Cut Swiss cheese slices into 4 squares each for a total of 16 squares. Spread out baguette slices on a baking sheet; top each with one cheese square. 

Broil toasts on top rack until cheese has melted and is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. TIP: The broiler is a powerful tool! Keep an eye on the toasts to prevent burning.

 Serve family style or divide stew between bowls and top with toasts (or serve on the side).

Mexican Beef Stew

The house smelled amazing while this cooked. Which is my favorite part of cooking longer stews and soups. It feels comfy, homey, delicious.

Sadly, the aroma was as good as this stew gets. I really am not sure where it went wrong. It had a funky taste to it that I'm going to assume were the poblanos. I've cooked with them before, but not in a long cooking sort of way. 

Two things I forgot: 

1. I forgot to put the potatoes in. That "might" have made it better. 

2. I made the lime creme then forgot to put it on. I do this with parsley all the time too. I cut it to put it on the food at the end, then forget. 

Mexican Beef Stew

Recipe from Insanely Good Recipes

Serves 6

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chunky salsa (medium heat)
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 bottle Mexican lager beer
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon beef base or bouillon
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Hot sauce to taste (optional)

For the Lime Crema:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• Pinch salt

Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, and beef base. Cook for 1 minute.

Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the beer, beef broth, canned tomatoes, salsa, green chiles, and poblano peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stir in the potatoes and continue simmering uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Meanwhile, make the lime crema. Stir together the sour cream, lime zest, and salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Stir the cilantro into the finished stew. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve the stew in bowls with a dollop of lime crema on top. Enjoy!

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Photo from The Big
Man's World

I'm a big fan of pot roast. It was my Dad's favorite meal and so when I have it I think of him. This recipe would be right up his alley. He'd love this. 

I made one small mistake ... I bought stew meat instead of a chuck roast. I somehow thought this recipe was for stew and not pot roast. And the chuck roast was SUPER expensive. A 3 lb roast was $30. No thank you. 

Having now read the recipe thoroughly, the chuck roast would have been a better bet. I mean the stew meat was fine, but it would have been real pot roast had I used the chuck roast. Lessons Learned.

Overall, this was a simple, quick recipe. It was tasty too! 

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Recipe from The Big Man's World

Serves 8

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast boneless
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta or bacon
• 2 large onions sliced into wedges
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup beer or extra beef broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup tomato sauce passata
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 large carrots chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 3 large potatoes

Preheat oven to 350F.

Season the beef with salt and pepper.

Add oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear on all sides until no longer pink. Transfer it to a plate.

Add the pancetta to the same pot and cook for 1-2 minutes, followed by the onion and garlic. Add the beef broth, beer, water, tomato sauce, thyme, bay leaves, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil.

Add the vegetables, followed by the beef, and cover. Remove from the stovetop.

Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until the beef is tender.

Carne Guisada (Puerto Rican Beef Stew)

I'm a fan of latin flavors. I lived in Mexico for a semester and I'm convinced that was what has led to me love of Mexican food. I mean, I Mexico, they just call it food. And their "Mexican" food is very different from what we eat here in the US. Still I'm a fan. 

I'm also a fan of stews and soups during the fall/winter months. Something about a stormy, rainy day that just screams stew to me. 

I've made five different recipes for Carne Guisada. Some I loved, some just ok and some were yuck. 

This one was advertised as a "Puerto Rican" version. None of the others used Sazon. I've used Sazon in other recipes and always forget how good (and salty) it is. I should also mention I did not use sofrito. It has nasty bell peppers in it, so I suspect if I ever ate guisada in Puerto Rico, I might not like it. 

I really liked this stew. I think it may be one of the favorite guisadas I've made. 

I cooked my stew for 2.5 hours. I used stew meat and that is not usually tender after cooking only 30 minutes. Plus I think the flavors meld better. I put the carrots in after 1.5 hours. And then the potatoes when 30 minutes were left. 

Carne Guisada (Puerto Rican Beef Stew)

Recipe from Latina Mom Meals

Serves 6

• 2-3 pounds of beef chunks 2 inch chunks
• 3-4 tablespoons of Badia Sazon Complete seasoning*
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ onion chopped
• ⅓ cup of white wine
• ⅓ cup of homemade sofrito optional
• 8 oz of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 packet of beef bullion seasoning
• 2 cups of water
• 1 ½ cups of baby or chopped carrots
• 3 large potatoes peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup of cilantro chopped

Season beef (2-3 lbs) with Badia seasoning (3-4 tbsp) (or see note) and minced garlic (2 tbsp). Set to the side.

Warm olive oil (2-3 tbsp) over medium high heat, add in beef chunks in batches, and brown sides.

Add in onions (1 half; chopped) and white wine (1/2 c), allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Next, add in sofrito (1/2 c), beef bullion (1 packet) , and tomato sauce (8oz), cook an additional 1-2 minutes before adding in water (2c), and carrots (1 1/2 c).

Cook ten minutes before adding in potatoes (3 large, chopped) and cilantro (1/4 c). 

Taste for seasoning and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes on medium, cover with a lid with a slight opening.

Vegetable Beef Stew

Photo from Dinner
Then Dessert

Its stew and soup season. I like to have at least one soup or stew a week, if possible. They make great leftovers for me. It's one of the few leftovers I'll eat, so that's a bonus. 

This was an average recipe. Good and simple. Nothing fancy or special about it. A solid, foundational type of stew recipe. 

I cooked it longer than 30 minutes. Chuck roast, to me, needs more time to tenderize. I cooked this for about 3 hours on low. Turned out to have a very tender beef then.

Vegetable Beef Stew

Recipe from Dinner Then Dessert

Serves 8

• 3 pounds chuck roast , cut into 2" chunks
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 carrots , cut into 2 inch chunks
• 2 Yukon potatoes , chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup green beans , fresh or frozen
• 1 cup frozen green peas

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and season the beef chunks with salt and pepper before dredging in flour.

Put the butter and canola oil in a large Dutch oven on medium heat and brown the beef on all sides in batches (3-4 minutes per batch) until it is browned very well.

Remove the last batch of the beef and add in the onions, garlic and carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly caramelized before adding the potatoes and corn in along with the broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme and Worcestershire sauce and stirring to combine.

Add the beef back into the pot, cover and cook in the oven for 2:30 hours, then add in the green beans and peas for the last 30 minutes before removing the the oven.

Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Chicken Stew

Photo from Insanely
Good Recipes

I don't know why I've never thought to make a stew with chicken, but man was this awesome. I mean it was like the inside of a chicken pot pie, but bigger pieces. 

This was a solid recipe. I'd make this again for sure. I followed the recipe and didn't make any changes. Weird, I know. 

Chicken Stew

Recipe from Insanely Good Recipes

Serves 6

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

In the same pot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Slowly pour in the chicken broth and wine (if using), stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the browned chicken, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30-35 minutes or until chicken is tender and potatoes are cooked through.

Stir in the heavy cream and peas. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Stir in the fresh parsley just before serving.

Serve this hearty chicken stew with crusty bread for a complete and satisfying meal. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew

Photo from Fake Ginger

You know I love a good slow cooker Sunday. I'm always game for a soup, stew, or something else in the slow cooker. Set it and forget it.

I wasn't a huge fan of this recipe. I think I should have browned the beef first. That adds so much flavor that I'm sad I didn't do it. 

The recipe was just ok. I think I like barley in soup better than a stew. I also didn't like using baby carrots. They have a very unique taste to me and it over powered the stew, in my opinion. 

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew

Recipe from Fake Ginger

Serves 6

• 1 ½ pounds chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 2 cups frozen corn
• ¾ cup medium pearl barley

Place chuck steak, onion, carrots, and potatoes in slow cooker

Add water, broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours

Add green beans, corn, and barley

Cover and cook on low for 2 more hours or until barley and veggies are tender

Beef Stew with Dumplings

Photo from I Am Homesteader

Dumplings. They are either a love or hate I think. The dumplings I grew up eating were more "dry" than wet and always on Hunter's Stew. 

I am not a fan of chicken and dumplings. Those dumplings are more "wet". Are you following what I mean? They are usually covered in a sauce. That's the part I'm not a fan of.

Now dumplings on top of something, like Hunter's stew is an entirely different love for me. this recipe has those types of dumplings. It never crossed my mind to put dumplings on top of stew. What an eye opener and Man was it good. 

Beef Stew with Dumplings

Recipe from I am Homesteader

Serves 8

• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds chuck roast, cut into cubes
• ¼ c all-purpose flour
• 2 ribs celery, sliced (about ½ cup)
• 3 large carrots, sliced into rounds (about ½ cup)
• ½ c frozen peas
• 5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized cubes (about 2 pounds)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• ¼ c fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 c beef broth
• ½ c red wine, we used cabernet

Dumplings

• 1 c sour cream
• ½ c whole milk
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• parsley, for garnish

In a large pot with a lid or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil.

Once hot, add the cubes of beef to the pot and brown them on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the beef cubes and stir to coat.

Add the celery, carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme leaves, fresh parsley, tomato paste, salt, pepper, beef broth, and red wine to the pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and let the stew simmer for about 1-1 ½ hours, or until the beef is tender.

When the stew has finished cooking, remove the bay leaves.

During the last few minutes of cooking the stew, make the dumplings.

Dumplings

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, and fresh thyme.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the sour cream mixture, stirring until just combined.

Use a spoon to drop spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the stew. Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are puffed and fully cooked.

Serve the stew hot, garnished with parsley.

White Chicken Chili Casserole

Photo credit: Eating Well

Sherrie was over for some scrapbooking and I wanted to make a dinner that was simple. I'd seen this a while back and thought I'd give it a try. I actually followed the recipe verbatim - well, except I used pepper jack cheese instead of sharp cheddar. A much better flavor with this I think. 

Overall, this was a yummy recipe. We put it over rice and I think that really made the dish. It wasn't spicy at all. I kinda wish I had put in some hot sauce, but it was still tasty.

White Chicken Chili Casserole

Recipe from Eating Well

Serves 4

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 c chopped onion, plus more for garnish
• 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 1 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added white beans, rinsed
• ¼ c sour cream
• Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (optional)
• Crumbled tortilla chips (optional)
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and poblanos; cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. 

Add jalapeño and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Add chicken, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the chicken is opaque on all sides, about 3 more minutes. 

Stir in broth and beans and bring to a lively simmer. Reduce heat to maintain the simmer and cook, stirring a few times, until the chicken is cooked through and the broth has reduced, about 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve topped with cheese, tortilla chips, onion and/or cilantro, if desired.

Carne Guisada (Braised Beef)

Photo from Closet Cooking

I've made Carne Guisada number of times. It's one of those recipes that I keep trying to find THE BEST version of. 

This one, was not. If you're interested in all the other ones I've made, here's the search. The Traditional Tejano Carne Guisada was my favorite.

I'm not really sure why this one wasn't so great, but it was just ok. I'm gonna stick with the other one when I want to make Carne Guisada. And/Or try new ones as they come up.

Carne Guisada (Braised Beef)

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Serves 8

• 1 T oil (or lard or bacon grease)
• 3 pounds stewing beef (such as chuck), cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1/4 c flour (optional) (rice flour for gluten-free)
• 1 onion, diced (~1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper, ground
• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped *
• 1 tomato, diced (~1 cup)
• 1 c beef broth (or water)
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.

Toss the meat in the flour, add to the pan and brown on all sides before setting aside.

Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, pepper, cumin and chipotle chilies and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook until the start to release their juices and break down a bit, about 5 minutes.

Add the beef and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is falling apart tender, about 2 hours, adding extra broth (or water) as needed OR transfer to a preheated 350F/180C oven and roast, covered, until the beef is tender, about 2-3 hours, OR transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or on high for 3-5 hours.

Option: The flour is used to thicken the sauce and it can be omitted.

Option: Add diced bell peppers.

Option: Add diced potatoes.

Option: Add extra broth (or water) if you desire a more stew/soup like version!

Wendy’s Chili Copycat

Photo from Insanely Good Recipes

It's October Sunday dinner night. And I thought I'd bring bag "Frito Lollies" for dinner. I made these the "tradition" about 10 years ago and then somehow stopped. Mom made these EVERY Christmas Eve. So keeping with that tradition, but moved it to October. 

Chili is always a crowd pleaser. And on a nice fall day in October, it's warmth and comfort fits the bill. But, tonight, I thought I would try a new recipe instead of my chili recipe. Which, by the way, is not written down anywhere. I feel like chili is a lot like soups to me, it's really anything goes and a fairly simple recipe for me. 

But I digress. So I found this copycat recipe and thought I'd give it a try. It was better than my chili recipe. No lie. I don't think I've ever had Wendy's Chili, but I might have it now if it tastes like this chili did. 

The only odd thing, to me, about this recipe was adding celery to the chili. Honestly I don't think you could taste it at all by the time it cooked for several hours. I did not, of course, add the bell pepper in. Gross. When I make it again I won't add the celery. It seemed like a waste. 

Wendy’s Chili Copycat

Recipe from Insanely Good Recipes

Makes 10 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground beef

2 stalks celery

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

2 (1.25 ounce) packages chili seasoning

1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Place the ground beef in the pot. Press the beef down to form one large patty. Let the bottom brown for 8 to 10 minutes, then use a spatula to break it into bite-size crumbles. Cook until no longer pink (about 5 more minutes).

Stir in the celery, onion, and green bell pepper, and cook until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).

Pour in the stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato sauce, and water. Break up any large pieces of stewed tomatoes, then stir in chili seasoning.

Add in the kidney beans and pinto beans. Salt and pepper to your desired taste.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.

Stir the vinegar into chili. Serve and enjoy!

Stovetop Beef and Guinness Stew

Photo from Homemade
Hooplah

Ireland has been on my mind lately and I thought a good batch of Guinness stew might help my longing to go back to Ireland.

I've made a couple of Guinness stews and really they all taste the same. The previous ones didn't have celery in them and I have to say, I'm not a fan of celery in stew. 

Overall, this was a good recipe. Perfect for a fall night. 

Stovetop Beef and Guinness Stew

Recipe from Homemade Hooplah

Serves 6

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 pound beef chuck, (or type of your choice) cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 pinch salt, or to taste
• 1 pinch black pepper, to taste
• 2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
• 15 ounce Guinness, or other dark beer
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 springs fresh thyme
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 pound baby potatoes, about 4-6 potatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, (optional)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon for 3-4 minutes or until bacon begins to brown. Scoop out bacon and transfer to a 6 quart stockpot Leave bacon grease in the skillet.

Season cut beef with salt and pepper (to taste) then add beef to the skillet. Brown beef for about 5 minutes, making sure to sear all sides. Scoop out beef and transfer to the pot with the bacon. Continue to leave grease in the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions to skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic to skillet and cook for 1 minute.

Add beer to skillet and stir until combined with the grease, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.

Pour onion & beer mixture into the pot with the bacon and beef. Add carrots, celery, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, and chicken stock, then stir.

Bring stew to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook stew for 1 hour. Remove lid and add potatoes to pot. Cook stew for 1 more hour, uncovered.

If you'd like a thicker stew, add in 1 tablespoon of flour to the broth and stir thoroughly. Let stew cook for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered.

Serve stew immediately.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew

Last night was Sunday dinner and the theme was Irish. Only because next Sunday is St. Patty's day and

it was an excuse to eat soda bread. 

We had all the Irish favorites: Guinness, soda bread, colcannon, and more Guinness.

This was a good recipe. The crock pot was F-U-L-L. I cooked it for 8 hours and the corned beef wasn't as tender as I was hoping, but it was still good. I also didn't like the pickling spice. I knew I wasn't going to but was following the recipe anyhow. 

If I made this again, I wouldn't put in the veggies until half way. The cabbage was way to slimy. 

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew

Recipe from The Recipe Critic

Serves 6

• 2 pounds corned beef cut into bite sized pieces
• 4 large potatoes cut into large pieces
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 white onion chopped
• 1 bag baby carrots 16 oz
• 1/2 head cabbage cut into small wedges
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons McCormick® Pickling Spice
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional
• Chopped Parsley and additional salt and pepper for garnish

Add corned beef, potatoes, celery, onion, carrots, and cabbage to your slow cooker.

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, pickling spice, garlic powder, paprika and salt and pepper. Pour over the meat and veggies.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 until the vegetables are tender and meat is cooked throughout.

Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley.

Italian Beef Stew

Tonight I had my virtual dinner with friends Paul and Suzanna. We started this around the Covid timeframe and we've kept it up. It's a blast to cook dinner then facetime with them and chat about everything and anything. We were on the phone for 3 hours last night. 

Because I was on a timeline, we were meeting at 5:45, I wanted to make something that didn't need any timing really. So stew it is. 

This Italian Stew was delicious. I mostly followed the recipe. I was confused about two different times carrots were mentioned. Why? So I only sliced my carrots in medallions and called it a day.

I also don't like using raw tomatoes in something like this. Tomatoes don't taste like tomatoes and wanting a tomato flavor, I tossed in a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Perfect!

This was a great recipe. But I love stews, so there's that.

Italian Beef Stew

Recipe from My Recipes

Serves 8

• 7 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c chopped carrot
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 c dry red wine
• 3 3/4 c chopped seeded peeled plum tomato (about 2 pounds)
• 1 1/2 c fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 c water
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 3/4 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
• 2 T chopped fresh basil
• 1 T chopped parsley

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion and chopped carrot; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.

Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Return meat and the onion mixture to pan. Add tomato and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and stir in sliced carrot. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and parsley.

The Ultimate Steak Chili (159 of 150)

Photo from Endless Meals

Look! Another chili recipe. Only this one is without beans. Which is weird for me. Pipe down Texas I know you think chili shouldn't have beans. 

What I decided about this recipes is: 1) It's delicious and 2) It's basically Chili Colorado. 

Blueberry was over for this chili fest and she too agreed that it was delicious and reminder her of chili colorado.

I'm going to continue to make my chili with beans and chili without beans I will now call Chili Colorado. 

The Ultimate Steak Chili

The Food Network

Serves 4 to 6

• 4 pounds chuck eye roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups hot beef stock, or more as needed
• 2 limes, juiced
• Cornbread, french-fried onions, crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, corn nuts and sour cream, for serving

Preheat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the Dutch oven, then add the beef in two batches to cook until browned on each side, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.

Reduce the heat to medium, then remove the meat and set aside while keeping the rendered fat in the pan. Add the ancho chile powder, cumin, paprika and oregano and bloom in the oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onions, then season with salt and pepper and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeños and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the crushed tomatoes and beef stock and return the seared chuck to the pot. Lightly simmer, partially covered, until thick and rich, about 2 hours. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and if the chili is getting too thick, add more beef stock. Finish with lime juice to taste. Serve with the accompaniments.

Crock Pot Beef Stew (151 of 150)

Photo from Life in
the Loft House

Beef stew is not a hard thing to make for me. I use my Grandma Spaid's recipe. Simple, old fashioned and delicious. 

Every now and then a stew recipe is randomly selected. The photo on the recipe page is what caught my eye for this one for some reason. I didn't actually read the full recipe until I was doing my grocery shopping for the week. And even then, I didn't really think about this recipe. 

This morning as I was putting it together it dawned on me that I have never, EVER , used Cream of Celery soup in anything, let alone in a stew. 

I added a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce because it just wasn't savory enough for my taste. I also added a tablespoon of tomato paste. The ketchup is weird and sweet so I needed more tomato taste it felt like. 

Overall, this was a good stew. It was hearty, filling and good enough. I won't make it again, but not because it was a bad recipe, but because I'll just use my Grandma's recipe. 

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Recipe from Life in the Loft House

Serves 8

• 2 packages (1 ounce, each) dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat cut up into bite size pieces
• 5 medium potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 to 3 c baby carrots
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 2 cans (10 ounces, each) cream of celery soup
• 1 c ketchup *(you can substitute tomato sauce if you don't like ketchup)

In a large plastic bag, combine the dry onion soup mix and paprika. Add in meat and shake the bag to coat meat with the seasonings. (You may have to do that step in two batches, for all the meat to fit) Once meat is coated, spread out evenly into a greased 7 quart crock pot.

Top meat evenly with diced potatoes, carrots and onion.

Mix the cream of celery soup and ketchup in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the meat and vegetables.

Cover crock pot with lid. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or until meat is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Stir to combine everything then serve.

One Pot Chicken Stew (147 of 150)

I have never made a chicken stew. I looked through all my past recipes and none of them are of a chicken stew. I've made chicken pot pie, and chicken pot pie soup but not a stew. This recipe is basically chicken pot pie, just not in a pie crust. 

This is a one pot meal which makes it easy for clean up. It's hearty and has plenty of flavor. Even though, I neglected to add the thyme, sage and rosemary. I'm not a fan of those herbs so I left them out. 

I also, accidentally, left the potato out. Didn't miss it, to be honest. 

One Pot Chicken Stew

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 6

• 2 T olive oil
• 8 chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 c onion, diced
• 1 c carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c all purpose flour
• 4 c low sodium chicken stock
• 1 1/2 c Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 c green beans
• 1 c frozen corn
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 c heavy cream

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the diced chicken, salt and pepper and brown. Its okay if its not cooked all the way through then remove to a plate.

Add in another tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic cook for about 3 minutes just to soften. Sprinkle in the all purpose flour and stir, cook for another minute.

Pour in the chicken stock and potatoes, cover, and bring to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add in green beans, corn, peas, herbs, and chicken. Stir, cover and bring back to a simmer.

Remove the lid and stir in the heavy cream add more salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Slow Cooker Sunday Stew (119 of 150)

This wasn't a great recipe. I really can't figure out why either. It lacked flavor to me and the jalapenos gave it a weird flavor. 

I forgot to get potatoes so we didn't have potatoes - maybe that would have made it better. Hard to say. 

I will chalk this one up an experience and file it into the "no need to make again". 

Slow Cooker Sunday Stew

Recipe from Food Network

Serves 6

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, cut into quarters, keeping the root end intact
• One 10-ounce container plain white button mushrooms, wiped clean
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 medium red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, halved and partially seeded
• 1 c beer
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• About 2 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• Buttery Lemon Parsley Noodles, recipe follows, for serving
• 2 T fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
• Buttery Lemon Parsley Noodles:
• 1 pound pasta (fettuccine, linguine, angel hair)
• 4 T (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Pour off any excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.

Put the flour and some salt and pepper in a resealable plastic bag and add the beef. Toss to coat the beef thoroughly. Heat the bacon grease in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the skillet in 2 batches and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Set aside.

Put the onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the beef, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Season with a big pinch of salt and some black pepper. Cut the bacon into large pieces and sprinkle them over the top.

Pour the beer into a pitcher, whisk in the tomato paste and Worcestershire and then pour it over the vegetables. Add enough beef broth to just cover the meat and top with the parsley and rosemary sprigs. 

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Charro Beans (79 of 150)

Photo from Lemon 
Tree Dwelling

Tonight was Sunday Dinner. The theme was Burrito Bowls. Everyone brought something to add to the bowls. I made the Carne Asada from this taco recipe. And the chicken from this recipe.  On top of that I did these Charro Beans.

The flavor combination of these beans is amazing. They are so delicious and so much better than refried beans. They were a nice addition to the burrito bowls. 

Charro beans should not be confused with Borracho Beans. That said the only real difference is Borracho beans have beer in them. And are also delicious. 

I'm not sure why, but I didn't include the ham and bacon in my recipe. I had two types of chorizo I used and thought that would be enough pork. I think it turned out good. I'd make these again in a heart beat. 

Charro Beans

Recipe from Lemon Tree Dwelling

Serves 12

• 4 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, undrained
• 6 slices bacon
• 7 ounces chorizo sausage
• 1 c diced ham steak
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Prepare the vegetables by dicing the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro and mincing the jalapeño and garlic. Prepare the meats by dicing the ham and bacon.

Add the diced bacon, along with the chorizo, to a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, crumbling the chorizo as you go, until the bacon is crispy.

Add in the prepared onions, garlic, and ham. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onions are translucent.

Add in the remaining ingredients, including the liquid from the beans, and simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro as desired.

Flank Steak in Adobo (70 of 150)

Y'all...this recipe was amazing. It is definitely going in the favorites list for 2023. First, there's nothing like meat that has been cooked (braised) in a sauce for hours. The tender beef chunks that just melt in your mouth are what makes this recipe so amazing. 

The sauce, I mean...it has it's place too.  The savory, slightly acidic sauce with a little punch to it, had so much flavor in it. The first time I tasted it as it was cooking I was taken back a little. A little "vinegary" without having vinegar in it. Then I remembered the citrus in it. I felt like it wasn't balanced and it needed something. But as it cooked, it got more and more complex and so incredibly yummy!

I served this with my new "tomato rice" recipe (rice in a rice cooker with a tablespoon of tomato bouillon - the lazy mans or woman's Mexican rice. )

I didn't use Flank steak...way too expensive in all honesty. I used good old fashion stew meat. 

Make this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

Flank Steak in Adobo

Recipe from Cook's Country TV Show Cookbook

Serves 4

1 ½ ounces dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 ounce dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded

¾ cup salsa verde

¾ cup chicken broth

½ cup orange juice

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Flank Steak

2 ½—3; pounds flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped fine

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (1 cup)

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

FOR THE ADOBO: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange anchos and pasillas on rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer chiles to bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let stand until chiles are softened and pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Process salsa verde, broth, orange juice, sugar, lime juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and drained chiles in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

FOR THE FLANK STEAK: Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned on all sides, 6 to 9 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to large bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.

Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to now-empty pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. 

Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in adobo, beef, and any accumulated juices until well incorporated and bring mixture to simmer.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is tender and sauce has thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with flour tortillas, sprinkled with queso fresco and cilantro.