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!

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.