Italian Beef Stew

Italian Beef Stew

March 21, 2016Danita

Italian Beef Stew .  

Wanting to get a little more practice, my daughter has been cooking about once a week.  I enjoy cooking our old favorites (which sometimes makes me feel like I’m in a rut) but she enjoys finding new things for us to try.  That’s how we ended up having Italian Beef Stew.  It looked and sounded like a great recipe and it was loaded with lots of yummy veggies.  Being good Texans, we modified the recipe by doubling the beef….it’s just what we do.  

Italian Beef Stew is one of those “throw-everything-in-the-slow-cooker-and-forget-it” recipes.  Gotta love that!  We use those type recipes when we’re going to be out and about all day.  (which has happened a lot lately)  I’m telling you, one of my favorite things in life is being greeted at the door by the smell of dinner in the crock pot!  It just doesn’t get much better than knowing all I have to do is open the lid and dish it out.  That’s “comfort food” at it’s finest!    

Another great thing about this recipe is it doesn’t much matter what kind of beef you use.  For stews I buy either stew beef, an inexpensive roast or large thinner pieces of sirloin steak…. whatever is on sale or cheapest.  The cheaper cuts of meat usually need to simmer a good long time in order to be tender.  This recipe is perfect!  The longer it cooks, the better it is!  

And, it’s quite nutritious.  One of the things we learned in a nutrition class we took last year was the importance of “eating the rainbow”.  Meaning, the more colorful a dish (or food on your plate) the more well-balanced it is.  This Italian Beef Stew has just about every color of the rainbow in it.   

Here’s the Recipe:

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 lbs stew meat (or sirloin) cut into 1″ chunks* (this is the doubled amount)
  • 1 medium onion – sliced
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic – or 3 cloves
  • 1 cup thick sliced carrots
  • 1 cup thickly chopped celery
  • 2 cups fresh green beans – trimmed
  • 2 large potatoes – cubed
  • 7-8 cups beef broth
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes 
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Italian Beef Stew

Heat oil over medium high heat and add beef cubes

Cook, stirring frequently, until well browned (only takes 2-3 minutes)

Italian Beef Stew

Remove from skillet and add to slow cooker (crock pot)

Add chopped vegetables and tomatoes (with juice) to slow cooker

Italian Beef Stew

Pour in beef broth to cover completely (I used all 8 cups, we like a lot of broth)

Add seasoning and stir 

Italian Beef Stew

Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 or until beef and veggies are tender

It’s best to remove the Bay leaves before serving

Italian Beef Stew

Serve with a nice thick slice of warm crusty bread! 

Tips:

Chopping the meat and veggies in a uniform size helps them cook more evenly.  About 1″ is a good size

Italian Beef Stew
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
4 hr
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
4 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  2. 3 lbs stew meat (or sirloin) cut into 1″ chunks*
  3. 1 medium onion – sliced
  4. 1 tsp minced garlic – or 3 cloves
  5. 1 cup thick sliced carrots
  6. 1 cup thickly chopped
  7. 2 cups fresh green beans- trimmed
  8. 2 large potatoes – cubed
  9. 7-8 cups beef broth
  10. 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
  11. 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
  12. 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  13. 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  14. 2 Bay leaves
  15. 1 tsp salt
  16. 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil over medium high heat and add beef cubes
  2. Cook, stirring frequently, until well browned (only takes 2-3 minutes)
  3. Remove from skillet and add to slow cooker (crock pot)
  4. Add chopped vegetables and tomatoes (with juice) to slow cooker
  5. Pour in beef broth to cover completely (I used all 8 cups, we like a lot of broth)
  6. Add seasoning and stir
  7. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 or until beef and veggies are tender
Notes
  1. For extra flavor I usually dump the dripping from the browned beef into the pot as well
  2. Try to keep the meat and veggies about the same size when chopping. About 1″ is a good size and allows for even cooking.
  3. It’s best to remove the Bay leaves before serving
O Taste and See https://otasteandseeblog.com/
 This post was linked up at The Wednesday RoundupWake Up Wednesday Link Party, and Merry Monday Link Party.

 

7 Comments

  • Erlene Amat

    April 17, 2016 at 6:04 PM

    Yummy! We eat stew at least once every few months. I’ll have to try this one. Pinned.

  • Sandy Sandmeyer

    April 1, 2016 at 9:49 PM

    Thanks so much for sharing your Italian Beef Stew recipe with us at the Over the Moon Link Party.

  • Helen Fern

    March 29, 2016 at 8:43 AM

    I love stew and I love my crock pot – Great recipe! Would love to have you share on the “What’s for Dinner” linky up!
    http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-party-37/

    1. Danita

      March 29, 2016 at 5:19 PM

      Thanks for the invite!

      1. Helen Fern

        March 30, 2016 at 9:05 AM

        Thanks for joining us!

  • Shannon @ Of The Hearth

    March 28, 2016 at 6:49 AM

    This sounds great! We’ve been eating a regular slow cooker beef stew this spring, but the Italian additions described here would be a great change. Thanks for sharing!

  • Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood

    March 27, 2016 at 8:39 AM

    Oh gosh, I LOVE this! Easy and delicious!

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