We’re getting to that cozy-coziest time of the year! And the coziest place in my life is our cabin, aka the PERFECT place to enjoy something like this Easy Crockpot or Instant Pot Beef Stew.
Let me tell you the story of our cabin. Back when our kids were tiny, Drew and three friends started dreaming. They were fresh out of grad school and itching to do something “grown-up” like invest in real estate. They purchased some inexpensive canyon property, thinking they would sit on it for several years. But Drew, who’s a builder, was hired to do a job in that very same canyon, and they realized it was the perfect time to build.
They designed and built an awesome place which was nicer and bigger than any of our homes. It seemed a bit ridiculous at the time, but it worked because when you share a project with three other friends, every dollar is a quarter. That’s good math!
Turns out that when your kids are teeny, it’s the perfect time to own a cabin! We spent days and days and weeks on end up there, catching frogs, visiting cows and sheep, taking walks, playing games and sitting by the fire. Our kids played make-believe everything, built huge forts, slept in sleeping bags, collected rocks and got muddy.
Now our kids are all grown up, but the cabin is still just as magical. And we still play games, go on walks, sit by the fire and often, get muddy.
And then there’s the food. Food somehow always tastes better in the wilderness. The cabin is no exception. We eat more up there, and we eat well up there: French toast and sausage, homemade mac and cheese, hot chocolate and popcorn, and big pots of soup or stew. Comfort food in the coziest, most comfortable place.
Where’s your coziest spot? Hope you get to spend loads of time there this winter, with the people you love most. And a pair of your fuzziest slippers of course.
And a huge bowl of Easy Crockpot or Instant Pot Beef Stew. 😉
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 stalks celery
- 6 carrots
- 2 cups sweet potatoes
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 14-oz. can stewed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. corn or tapioca starch
- 2 Tbsp. cold water
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pan on the stove.
- Mince onion, and add onion and beef to pan and brown meat on all sides.
- Mince garlic and add to pan; cook for 30 seconds.
- Add beef and onion mixture, along with all pan drippings, to crock pot.
- Chop celery, peel and chop carrots, and cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add to crock pot, along with beef stock and tomatoes.
- Roughly chop fresh herbs. Add basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, paprika and salt and pepper to pot.
- Cook on low 7-9 hours, until meat is tender and veggies are cooked through.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir corn/tapioca starch into cold water in a small bowl, and then add to the soup and stir. Allow to heat in crockpot for a few minutes to thicken.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- Turn instant pot to sauté and allow to heat. Add oil and minced onions.
- Working in batches, add beef to pan and brown on all sides.
- Mince garlic and add to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Turn instant pot off.
- Chop celery, peel and chop carrots, and cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add to instant pot, along with beef stock and tomatoes.
- Roughly chop fresh herbs. Add basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, paprika and salt and pepper to pot.
- Turn instant pot on and set to manual for 35 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes and then let the remaining steam out by turning the knob to “venting.”
- Open the lid and stir in Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir corn/tapioca starch into cold water in a small bowl, and then add to the soup and stir. Turn instant pot to sauté and heat for 3-5 minutes while soup thickens.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
*This stew is delicious served with cornbread muffins made with Kodiak Cakes Cornbread Mix.
No Comments