5 to 6medium potatoes peeled and chopped into even chunks
4carrots peeled and chopped into even chunks
1package dry onion soup mix
1tbspgarlic minced
32ozbox beef broth
6ozcan tomato paste
1tbspworcestershine sauce
1tspdried thyme
1tspdried rosemary
3bay leaves
¼cupflour
Instructions
Add all the ingredients, except the flour, to the Crockpot.
Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours.Tip: To cook the stew overnight or while you’re at work, use the low setting for 8 to 10 hours.
In the last half hour, take out a half cup of broth and mix it with the flour to make a roux.
Pour the roux back into the stew and cook for another 30 minutes.Tip: If the stew is still too watery, add more flour, a little at a time to thicken.
Remove the bay leaves.
Serve with crusty bread, dumplings, or your choice of vegetables.Tip: If you’re not ready to eat, you can leave the Crockpot on warm for a further hour or so if needed.
Notes
If you would like the beef stew to be thicker, then add more flour before returning mixture to the pot. Additionally, you could add cornstarch instead of more flour which would also help to thicken the stew.Herbs will lose their flavor as they simmer, so add dried herbs at the start of the cooking and sprinkle in fresh herbs at the end for an extra boost of flavor. Thyme is the only herb that will not lose its flavor after simmering. If the meat is cut into too small of chunks, it will fall apart before serving. Make sure the pieces are big enough that they will not fall apart when cooking.To cook the stew while you are at work or overnight, set it to the low setting and cook for 8 to 10 hours.