Written By: Kaiti George @ Nebraska Beef Council
Black Friday is just three days away and I’m sure there are more than a few of you who already have the day planned out. In fact, I saw many ‘Black Friday countdowns’ posts on Facebook! But here’s the question you might just so easily forget about….What will you eat after a long day of shopping?
You’ve more than likely got a plan for waking up when it’s still dark to hit the early sales or you’re going to sleep in (tryptophan hangover?) and head out to the stores in the afternoon. No matter which route you choose, a slow cooker may be your best friend when it comes to finding time to eat amongst all the shopping frenzy.
Planning to get up early? If so, we’re betting that you’ll return home and need a nap. I say multi-task during nap time. Put Wild Mushroom Beef Stew in the slow cooker and while you’re out gathering deals and steals or catching up on some much needed rest, your dinner will be making itself 100% ready to consume!
Wild Mushroom Beef Stew
Ingredients:
2 pounds stew beef, cut into inch pieces
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
¾ cup ready to serve beef broth
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound red skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
8 ounces mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 cup baby carrots
Fresh parsley, optional
Directions:
- Combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Place beef in 4 -1/2 to 5 ½ quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with flour mixture; toss to coat.
- Combine broth, tomato paste, wine and garlic in a small bowl. Add to beef. Add potatoes, mushrooms and carrots. Mix well.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours, or on LOW 8 to 9 hours 9or until beef and vegetables are tender). No stirring is necessary during cooking. Stir well before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.