Beef Stew

I am not a big fan of the slow cooker, but every once in a while I find a recipe that works, this beef stew is one of them.

Sunday Menu – Beef Stew, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Farm Share Produce – Carrots, Potatoes

Beef Stew
From Paula Deen’s “My First Cookbook”
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 lb. stew beef
2 T vegetable oil
1 pckage dry onion soup mix
1 large baking potato, peeled
3 carrots, peeled and washed
2 stalks celery, washed
1 T corn starch

Add flour, salt, and pepper to a plastic bag. Add the beef, close the bag, and shake to coat the meat. (I always do this in a bowl, why have another plastic bag to toss?)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium. Put the beef in the skillet and brown on each side. Add the meat to a slow cooker and cover with the soup mix.

Cut potato, carrots, and celery into bite size pieces. Add vegetables and 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Stir and cover.

Set the slow cooker to high for 4 hours. Set the slow cooker to low for 3 more hours.

15 minutes before serving add corn starch to ¼ cup water. Stir until there are no lumps. Add this to stew and allow to thicken.

Mashed Potatoes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/buttermilk-mashed-potatoes-recipe2/index.html