Fireside Beef Stew

This is also known in our house as "B-" Beef Stew. While, I liked it, it wasn't a favorite of the boy, but I'm not going to hold that against him. He's just not a soup fan. I will give him credit for trying it though.

I guess that doesn't really give a ringing endorsement of this recipe. Well, let me try this, if you like beef stew, then you'll like this. The beef was tender, the broth flavorful, veggies are always awesome...I don't know what his deal was. I guess that just means more for me!

This was another recipe for my beloved crock pot. It's actually from a Better Homes and Gardens slow cooker magazine that I picked up a few years ago. Here's a link, but it says it's not available anymore. We've made several recipes from it, and they're always good. With any good crock pot recipe, you basically add all ingredients and cook for a long time.

I debated posting this recipe. I mean, let's face it, the photo isn't stellar and my husband didn't even like it. But I did, and that counts for something. Plus, what I really wanted to share was the post-cooking, portion-controlled freezing that occurred.

Since I was the only one who would be eating the stew, I knew I wouldn't be able to eat all of it before it went bad, so I froze individual portions for lunches.

It turns out that about one large ladle-full will fit into a section of a jumbo muffin tin. So that's what I did - poured a serving into each cup of the muffin pan, froze until solid, then put each "stew muffin" into a bag. Ok so the phrase "stew muffin" does not sound appetizing, but I stand firm with my decision.  I may even trademark it. There, I just did. Stew Muffin^TM

I'll grab one out of the freezer on my way to work, pop it in a mug, add a little more water (just a personal preference to make it seem like I have more) and microwave for a few minutes.

Delicious and easy to take lunches!



Ingredients (adapted from Ultimate Slow Cooker magazine)

1.5 lbs boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound butternut squash cut into 1-inch pieces (I used pre-cut frozen)

1 large onion, cut into large pieces

2 cloves garlic

1 14-ounce can beef broth

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

1 9-ounce package frozen cut green beans

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add beef, squash, onion, and garlic to crock pot. Stir in broth, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, black pepper, and all spice.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
3. If using low heat, turn to high. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Stir cornstarch mixture and green beans into beef mixture in the slow cooker. 
4. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until thickened. 
5. Serve with salt and pepper.

I made this ahead of time as a freezer meal. Basically I added all the ingredients in step 1 to a freezer bag and froze it. The night before I wanted to make this, I took it out of the freezer to defrost completely. Then added everything to the slow cooker before leaving for work.

Serves: 8

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 8-10 hrs or 4-5 hrs, plus 15 minutes