They say homemade Beef Stew is best served during cold weather. I say serve it at lunch, dinner or anytime–doesn’t matter, I’ll take it. It’s the taste of Beef Stew that makes it one of my favorite comfort foods, no matter the day.
Hey y’all! Dinner is served! Come get you a big ‘ole bowl of beef stew.
So, I would note that this Beef Stew has different versions. They can be spicy, a little sweet, or both. The sauce can be thickened, slurry, or not at all.
Wine is sometimes among the ingredients, too. Vegetables, herbs, and spices vary, as well. There must be hundreds of different versions around the world!
And these, of course, are all delicious on their own rights.
What Can You Serve with Beef Stew?
I like to eat my stew with crackers if I’m alone at the table having a bowl for lunch. You know, just dip the crackers in the sauce or scoop the stew with the crackers. I love the crunchiness under the savory and saucy beef stew.
But the beef stew can also be served with your favorite bread, biscuits, mashed potatoes, or rice. The very, very best is homemade cornbread–right out of the oven and slathered with butter. Or, stew can be a stand-alone, too. See? That’s how flexible it is.
And you know what? You can prepare it ahead, freeze it, then take it out and reheat it when it’s time to serve.
Leftovers are safe to be refrigerated or to freeze. Just place them in a container with a lid. They seem to taste better, too, on the next day, but that is, if there’s any left. LOL!
The Easy Beef Stew Recipe
Before cooking, you can marinate the beef with 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper to develop an even more robust flavor. I use a fork to blend them. However, this is totally optional. If you don’t have overnight for it to marinate, keep moving – the stew is going to taste brilliant either way.
Searing the cubes makes the meat and the sauce tastier, too. You need to be patient for that rich, hearty flavor. But it’s so worth it.
Oh, before we get into it all, don’t forget to pin this to your favorite winter recipes board on Pinterest, so it’s easier to find it when you want to make this again.
Ingredients for Beef Stew:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1lb beef, cut into 1″ cubes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1-14oz can crushed tomatoes, optional
How to Make Beef Stew:
Place 1 Tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat.
Next, season the cubed beef with half of the salt, pepper, and thyme. (And additional seasoning, if using.)
Sear the beef on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and place in a small bowl. This makes the stew tastier!
Place the remaining tablespoon of butter in the stockpot.
Then, add the onions, carrots, and celery to the hot butter and cook until onions are translucent at about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and remaining seasoning and cook 1 minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the beef, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes, and beef stock.
Cover and let the stew come to a boil.
Then, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 15 minutes, until beef is cooked all the way through.
Beef Stew
This savory and tasty Beef Stew is best served warm with your favorite bread, biscuits, mashed potatoes, or rice. Or you can make a whole meal of just the Stew.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1lb beef, cut into 1″ cubes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1-14oz can crushed tomatoes, optional
Instructions
- Place 1 Tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
- Season the cubed beef with half of the salt, pepper and thyme. (And additional seasoning, if using.)
- Sear the beef on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a small bowl.
- Place the remaining tablespoon of butter in the stockpot.
- Add the onions, carrots and celery to the hot butter and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and remaining seasoning and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the beef, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes and beef stock.
- Cover and let the stew come to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 15 minutes, until beef is cooked all the way through.
Notes
Tip: I also added 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder and white pepper to the beef to develop even more robust flavor. These are optional.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 471mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 19g
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