Chris' Tuscan Beef Stew

Chris' Tuscan Beef Stew

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Cooking Method:  Crock Pot

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours (crock pot on low)

Ingredients (listed in order needed)

• Olive oil
• 3 lb chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes with the excess fat removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 8oz package of mushrooms (baby bella's or cremini), sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large rosemary springs, stripped and chopped (about 1.5 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary)
• 2 bay leaves, whole
• 32 fl.oz (1 QT) beef stock
• 28 oz. Can of family cut or diced tomatoes (with the liquid)
• 1 package/envelope dried onion soup mix
• 1 cup red wine
• 2-3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Egg noodles (no-yolk or whole wheat is what I use) or a hearty crusty bread

Directions:

1. Prepare the beef, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary.
2. In a large pot add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Heat on high until oil is fragrant.  Add the beef and brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to beef.  Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer beef mixture to crock pot.  Add rosemary, bay leaves, beef stock, tomatoes (with juice), onion soup mix, and red wine.  Stir until combined.
5. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.
6. Prepare the carrots and potatoes.  Add them to the crock pot after 4 hours of cooking.  Check stew for seasoning and add salt or pepper if needed.
7. Cover crock pot and cook on low for another 4-6 hours.  The stew will be done after 4 hours, however the cooking time can be lengthened as needed.
8. 30 minutes before meal time, remove bay leaves.  Stir in the Dijon mustard.
9. Serve over egg noodles an or with some hearty crusty bread (or both)

Some additional tips...

• If I have fresh thyme, I will add that along with the rosemary
• The starch in the potatoes will help thicken the stew, but you can also add some cornstarch mixed with a bit of water along with the Dijon to thicken the stew further.  When I do this, I cook on low for 60 minutes instead of 30.
• You can always add more beef stock or wine to add to the stew's volume.
• I often cook the egg noodles ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator to save time.

Enjoy!

-Chris (PiedPiperOSIB)