Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika

This is a wonderful stew! (And I don't like beer!) Serve this with Beer Bread and everyone will thank you.

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter
2 lbs stew meat

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of beer (12 oz)
4 cups beef stock (or 4 cups water + 4 beef bouillon cubes)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
4 medium red potatoes, cubed

Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside. Reduce heat a little and add chopped onion to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back to the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer on low for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for approximately another 30 minutes (carrots and potatoes should no longer be firm and beef should be fork tender).

Note: I did not have a problem with the stew getting dry, but if you do, just add one cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid. I actually ended up thickening the stew at the end with a little flour dissolved in cold water. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

(Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman.)

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I've been on a soup kick lately. Not sure why exactly. I will definitely make this recipe again though. Good stuff!

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, prepared according to package directions
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/4 tsp onion salt
Ritz Crackers

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and mix well. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Add vegetables, chicken, broth, and onion salt and stir well. Heat through and serve. Top individual servings with Ritz Crackers.

Cheeseburger Soup

I tried this soup out recently just for kicks and it is actually very good!

1/2 lb ground beef
5 Tbsp butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 tsp dried basil
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
4 cups (3 medium) potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups Velveeta, cubed
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cook ground beef in large saucepan over medium heat until brown; drain and set ground beef aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and basil; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until tender. Add broth, potatoes and cooked beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Melt remaining butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.

Slow Cooker Chili

This is by far my favorite chili recipe. It's simple, meaty, and flavorful, but not spicy. I've made it with both ground beef and ground turkey and it's great either way. We often eat our chili over spaghetti noodles and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and Fritos. So good!

2 lbs lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Cook beef in skillet over medium heat until browned; drain. Mix beef and remaining ingredients, except beans, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until onion is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook 30 additional minutes or until beans are heated through.

Beef Stew with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I've made this recipe many times. I got it from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook. For some reason I thought it was a bit too oniony (is that a word?) when I made it last week, but it was still good and deserves to be posted here on my blog. I like to eat it over biscuits. My husband thinks that's weird.

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 bag (8 oz) baby carrots (about 30)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup cold water
2 Tbsp flour

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker except for 1/4 cup water and the flour. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or until beef and veggies are tender.

Mix 1/4 cup water and flour and gradually stir into beef mixture. Cover and cook on high for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Easy Cheesy Soup

This is really simple to make and it's quite good...especially with garlic cheese croutons sprinkled on top.

2 cups of frozen southern style hashbrowns
1/2 of a 16 oz bag (about 2 cups) of frozen California style vegetable mix (carrots, broccoli, & cauliflower)
3 cups water
3 tsp instant chicken bouillon or 3 cubes
1 lb box Velveeta cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk

Combine water, bouillon, hashbrowns, and vegetables in a large saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Cut Velveeta cheese into large cubes and dump carefully into saucepan. Stir soup and milk into saucepan. Stir frequently until cheese is completely melted. Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

This is comfort food made easy on a cold winter day.

1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups water
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large skillet brown beef pieces, about half at a time, in hot oil. Drain off fat. Combine beef and remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.