Thursdays Are For Cooking

| January 14, 2021

 

If you have a Crockpot, you know it will take care of cooking the main dish for you so that you can go run errands. Well, I have two: the original Crockpot that I got at a sale when Montgomery Wards (who?) was closing its doors, which holds enough for 10 to 12 servings of something, and the more recent, and much larger version which is big enough for a full-sized beef roast.

So, on that note, this revived recipe from Betty Crocker’s kitchens should fill the bill for a good hearty meal. The recipe says it should serve 12, so you might need a bigger pot. Otherwise, enjoy it. It’s a perfect dish for a chilly winter day.

Slow-Cooker Country French Beef Stew

  • Prep 25 MIN
  • Total 7 HR  55 MIN
  • Servings: 12

Go hearty and rustic on a chilly day with this country stew of veggies and chunks of beef in a red wine broth. Ladle it over noodles straight from the slow cooker.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated March 4, 2010

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lb), trimmed of fat, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

3 cups ready-to-serve baby-cut carrots

1 cup red Zinfandel wine or nonalcoholic red wine

¾ cup Progresso™ beef flavored broth (from 32-oz carton)

3 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)

½ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)

Additional Notes:

Hot cooked egg noodles, if desired

Chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, if desired

Steps

  • 1 Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Place bacon in cooker. Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat in skillet. Cook beef in bacon fat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Stir onion into beef. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into cooker.
  • 2 Stir carrots, wine, broth, flour, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and canned diced tomatoes into mixture in cooker.
  • 3 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.
  • 4 Stir in mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 20 to 30 minutes longer or until sun-dried tomatoes are tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles; sprinkle with parsley.

Expert Tips

  • Use beef broth instead of the wine if you prefer.
  • To save time, use beef stew meat instead of cutting the beef roast into pieces.
  • If you can’t find the julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes, cut your whole ones with a kitchen scissors.

 

Category: Cooking, Economy

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KoB

Num num num! Nothing like a beef beast orasted lowly in a crocked pot…’specially when you adds in some bacon…and onyon…and ‘shrooms…and maters…over egg noodles…or rice.

Don’t forget a loaf of that good crusty bread…or a pan of catheads…or a skillet of buttered milk cornbread to sop up that pot liquor.

Tanks Mi’Lady! Was a little concerned that the Pigeon Thread was gonna be the cooking thread. Ice Cream with Apple Betty for desert? Asking for Only Army Mom.

AW1Ed

Roll some small red potatoes right in the pot, or serve on a heap of mashed potatoes for another couple of options. Winter comfort food, thanks Ex!

ninja

Ex:

PERFECT TIMING on you posting this recipe..

Found in a Krogers AKA KRogers last night on sale cut up chuck roast…

Have always used Beef stew meat, but not this weekend..

The ninja family will be firing up our Crock Pot as well to make your recipe…We will be using the Crock Pot purchased in the 1990s versus the Crock Pot we purchased in 1975 to make your recipe…

And yes, we bought the Instant Pot, but have yet to try it…am sure Gitcarver will soon be posting his recipe for cooking under pressure, so we plan to cook the French Stew two ways..

Thank You again for sharing, Ex…Comfort Food at Its Best!

gitarcarver

For those who like to cook under pressure….

While the recipe I am trying to match is a “beef stew,” the slow cooker recipe has much in common with Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon and that is what I am bringing forth here:

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon oil
▢ 6 slices bacon, roughly chopped
▢ 3 pounds chuck beef, cut into 2-inch pieces
▢ 1 cup red cooking wine may sub chicken broth
▢ 2 cups beef broth
▢ 1/2 cup tomato sauce
▢ 1 beef boullion cube, crushed
▢ 1/4 cup flour
▢ 2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
▢ 1 white onion, chopped
▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
▢ 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped or 3 teaspoons dried thyme
▢ 1 pound baby potatoes
▢ 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
▢ 1-2 teaspoons salt or to taste
▢ 1/2 teaspoon pepper
▢ chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Set instant pot to SAUTE. Drizzle with oil and sear bacon 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
Add beef to pot and sear 3-4 minutes, using tongs to rotate periodically to brown all sides.
Add red wine to the pot, scrape any brown bits off the bottom and sides of the pot and into the liquid. Simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes. Gradually add beef broth, tomato sauce, and boullion. Gradually whisk in flour.
Stir in bacon, carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, potatoes, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cover and set to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL. Set to 45 minutes.
Do a natural release for 10 minutes (do nothing, just allow to depressurize during this time) then switch valve to VENT and do a quick release. Once float valve drops, remove lid. Set to SAUTE again and allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
Give it a good stir and taste before adding salt and pepper if needed and garnishing with chopped parsley.

This can be served alone, with rice or with noodles. Whatever floats your boat. 🙂

Tallywhagger

You could be arrested, in Massachusetts, for feeding 10 or more people inside of your home. The Emergency Awareness Line called today to remind us and they left a detailed message.

Thank goodness, the narrator didn’t sound anything like Ed Asner. He and Pelosi could do well together on the same circle in hell.

Bought a Montgomery Ward COLOR TV somewhere in the 70s. Seems like it was called an Airline. It lasted for more than 20 years. Remotes and digital tuners hadn’t been invented yet. Neither had CNN.

On a good night I could make it through the 10 O’Clock news. Crock pots were a new thing and wonderful for having supper ready when you came in the door.

I guess you weren’t supposed to leave uncooked poultry sitting at room temperature for many hours but… we put a timer on the crock pot, chicken started warming up around noon and was tasty and tender as could be by 5 PM.

Rival and Presto are both sitting on the stove top, at this very hour.

The stew recipe sounds good. I’ll leave the fat on the chuck roast. The dogs like it that way. They like everything, anyway they can get it. Hmmm, could be an IDC Sarc joke in there, somewhere. 🙂