As we are all probably aware of, winter is near, which means it is colder than the Arctic outside, or so it feels. I don’t know about you, but whenever its this cold outside I always crave warm, homemade soup. What better way to warm up than to snuggle up on the couch and enjoy a bowl of beef stew? This stew will not only save your body from freezing over in this weather, but it will also save your taste buds from suffering a long and painful death out there in the cold. Really though, this soup is exactly what you need on these insanely cold days in Eugene, especially because all you need to do is put a couple of ingredients into a pot and let it cook all day. Plus, you can freeze all the leftovers and save them for another rainy day! It’s a college student’s dream.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours and 10 minutes
Servings: 5
Ingredients:
2 cups of carrots
3-4 cups of diced potatoes
1 cup of sliced onion
3 cups of beef broth
1 package of gravy mix
1-2 cups of water
1 package of pre-cut beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon of prime rib seasoning
Directions:
1. Place the entire defrosted pre-cut package of beef into the crockpot. Sprinkle your oregano, garlic salt, and prime rib seasoning on the meat. You can choose to season your meat now or later into the process. Cut up the carrots, potatoes and onions, and place into the pot on top of the meat. Then, put all the liquids into the crock pot and empty the entire package of gravy mix. Stir well and put the top on the pot.
Photo by Tiare Brown
2. Once all of the ingredients are in the pot, plug it in and turn on the pot on a low setting. It should be cooking for at least 8 hours, so prepare for the stew to cook most of the day.
Photo by Tiare Brown
3. 8 hours later, the stew should be hot, the vegetables soft, and the meat cooked through. You want the meat to be cooked so much that it is falling apart at the touch. Tip: if the broth of the stew isn’t as thick as you would like or is too soupy, leave the lid of the crockpot off for a little. It will eventually soak up. Grab a bowl, wrap yourself in a blanket, and de-thaw.
Photo by Tiare Brown
Photo by Tiare Brown