Lazy Day Stew

This is one of the previously mentioned freezer meals as well.  If you want to see any of the meal recipes in their original format, please follow the links in my original freezer meals introductory post. This recipe was very hearty and flavorful; I served it with pasta to soak up some of the juices and my husband said it was even better the next day as leftovers for his lunch.  The original recipe calls for potatoes, but I omitted them from my freezer bags in order to have more versatility.  I figured I could always throw potatoes into the crockpot if I wanted it to be an actual stew.  This recipe makes two freezer meals - divide evenly between two gallon-sized zip-top freezer bags, and lay flat to freeze.

Lazy Day Stew
4 lbs cubed stewing beef
10 oz pkg dried lima beans
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce (one in each bag)
2 Tbs. brown sugar (one in each bag)
4 c. baby carrots, sliced
2 c. onions chopped
2 c. celery chopped
2 t. minced garlic
2 large or 4 md. bay leaves
2 tsp. seasoning salt
2 c. water/broth (1 c. per meal, to be added at time of cooking)

Split between two bags.  Add 1 c. water/broth at time of cooking; cook on low 4-6 hours.  Serve as a soup, over noodles or rice, or with a big hunk of crusty bread for sopping up juices.

For a delicious, non-tomato based stew, check out my oven stew recipe!

Smoky potato and beef soup

Okay, I know it's been a while since I've posted.  I apologize.  If you follow me on facebook, you'll know that I announced I had been dealing with some personal issues, and I have been.  Between uncertainty of when my husband is returning, and whether we will be moving, and with having to put one of our pets down right before Christmas, I was definitely down and dealing with other things.  I hope no one was left in the lurch.

With the new year and doubtless new resolutions on everyone's plates, I've concocted a new recipe utilizing more vegetables than meat.  And, if you have any on hand, soup bones!  (I asked at the butcher counter at the grocery store, turns out they generally package them up and have them frozen!  Now I know!)  Keep in mind that I am cooking for one adult and one toddler, so this is a significantly pared down portion size - and since I chop everything super small for toddler bite size, it takes less of each ingredient.  To make this for adults, simply double this recipe

1/2 pound stew meat, diced
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. parsnips,diced (about one small)
1/3 c. carrots, diced (about one small)
1/4 c. celery, diced
half a soft-ball sized onion, diced
2 Tbsp. cognac (optional)
2 c. cold water
2 qt. water or broth from boiled soup bones
2 Tbsp. beef soup base
3 small bay leaves or 1 large
2 garlic cloves, smashed (let sit for at least 10 minutes after smashing before adding to recipe)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 large russet potato, diced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste

In a dutch oven, heat one tablespoon oil on medium to medium high heat until it begins to shimmer, 2-3 minutes.  Dump in your meat (one layer please!) and allow to brown - meat will release from pan after seared.  Turn and allow to brown on all sides, remove from pan (note - it is NOT cooked yet!).  Add parsnips, carrots, celery, and onion to pan drippings and oil and allow to brown well, don't worry if some of them stick a bit.  Carefully add cognac and stir vegetables.  Allow to cook off a bit and then add the cold water - using a stiff, flat-edged utensil, scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (easier time doing dishes, adding awesome flavor to food!).  Allow the water to come to a boil, then add the meat back to the pan, along with all juices from plate.  Add in additional water or bone broth, soup base, bay leaves, garlic cloves, cumin, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Allow to come to a boil and then reduce to simmer and cover.  Cook for one hour.  Add potato and tomato paste and allow to cook for at least 1 hour more.  Fish out bay leaves and serve.

This can easily be adapted to a crockpot - low for 6 hours, high for 4 hours.  Also, if you don't have cognac or don't want to use it, try using instead 6 oz. of red wine or a heavy white wine, 3 oz. coffee/3 oz. red wine, or one of your favorite beers.  You really can't beat the background flavors these ingredients add.  And the alcohol will cook off, don't worry.

Oven stew

This is one of my favorite recipes from when I was growing up.  It is simple and tastes phenomenal.  I usually serve it over cooked egg noodles.  It does take some planning ahead as it has to cook for 3 hours.

1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton's beefy onion soup mix
2 c. water

In a 2-quart greased covered-casserole dish, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, beefy onion soup mix, and water.  When thoroughly combined, add in stew meat, making sure to break up into individual pieces.  Cover with foil and then casserole lid.  Bake at 350 for 3 hours.  Serve hot.

Note: I don't like cream of mushroom soup, so I always make this with cream of chicken soup.  It doesn't taste weird, I promise, lol.

Guest contribution: Mediterranean brisket

My friend mentioned making this in a post on facebook - I was sold.  I love Mediterranean flavors, and I really don't know how to cook a good brisket, so when she agreed to share the recipe with me, I had to turn around and share it with you all!

1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c. dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup kalamata (or other black olives) pitted and chopped
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1-2 1/2 lb. piece flat-cut brisket, trimmed
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Place tomatoes, wine, garlic, olives, and rosemary in crock of slow cooker and stir to combine.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper to season.  Place brisket on top of tomato mixture and spoon half of it over the meat to cover.  Cover and cook on high until meat is fork tender, 5-6 hours.

Carefully transfer brisket to a foil-lined pan and tent loosely with foil, allowing to rest 10 minutes.  Skim excess fat from sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Slice brisket against the grain; spoon some sauce over the meat and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Note: to thicken the cooking juices left in your crock, mix 3 Tbsp. cornstarch in 1/2 c. cold water and stir into juices in crock.  Turn on high and cover.  After 15 minutes (enough time to let you meat rest and then slice it), you should have a thick and succulent sauce to serve with your meat!

Slow cooker beef stew

I kind of cheated on this one, lol.


1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 small onion, minced
3 small potatoes, diced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 box frozen peas
1 12 oz. beer (I used a RedHook ESB)
2 c. cold water
1 packet Lawry's beef stew seasoning

In a 4 qt crock pot, put onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, and meat. And liquids and seasoning packet; stir well. Add peas, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6.

Slow-cooker beef, bacon, and lentil soup

Lentils are a great addition to your diet as they bring not only fiber but also vitamins and minerals to the table.  And, since they are pretty much a blank-canvas, tastewise, in my opinion, you can pretty much include them in anything!

1 1/2 c. dried lentils, washed and drained
5 c. cold water
8 oz. bacon, cut into lardons
1 lb. stew meat
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter OR olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
2 c. warm water mixed with 1 tsp. beef soup base
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp. good vinegar (balsamic or sherry would be great)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground mustard

Brown the bacon in a skillet; remove bacon to paper towels to drain and discard most of the bacon drippings (leave just a tad bit in the pan to add flavor to the beef and vegetables!).  Turn the heat a little higher and sear the stew meat; remove to a plate to rest.  In the same skillet, without cleaning it out, quickly sear the vegetables, except the garlic, in the butter or olive oil.  When the vegetables have some nice color on them, stir in the flour, making a roulx.  Stirring constantly, allow the roulx to cook for a few minutes, otherwise your soup will taste like paste.  Then add in the salt, pepper, paprika, coriander, mustard and vinegar (standing too close when adding the vinegar will literally knock the breath out of you!).  Pour in some of the beef soup base dissolved in water to deglaze the pan (scrape all of that wonderful color and flavor off the bottom of the pan!), then combine everything in your crockpot.  Cook on low 7 hours or high for 3 hours.

Sidenotes: this recipe originally called for ground beef - I classed it up a bit with stew meat, but there is no reason you can't go back to just ground beef; the difference would be that the ground beef should be cooked completely before you put it into your crock.  A roulx is a mixture using (usually) flour or arrowroot (I've never used it) used to thicken sauces and soups; cornstarch dissolved in cold water is another technique for thickening a soup/stew or sauce.  As far as I'm concerned, they are interchangeable, as long as you know that cornstarch is ALWAYS dissolved completely in cold water before adding to a hot liquid, brought to a boil, and then allowed to simmer.  Flour and arrowroot are always added to some kind of fat in a hot pan and cooked off some before the liquid is added; to ensure that your roulx isn't lumpy, I recommend whisking as you add your liquid to the pan.  If you use a cold liquid, you deglaze your pan, pulling up all those lovely flavor notes from the bottom of the pan (as well as making clean-up easier as you've eliminated the need to scrub!).  Also, you don't need to cook/brown anything but the bacon (and ground beef, if using it) before adding it to the crock.  But the browning step adds a definite depth of flavor, so if you have the time, make sure you do it - you won't regret it!