Amazing, Tomato-y and Cozy Slow-Cooker Stew

Prep Time: 30 minutes  /  Cook Time: 4-6 hours

(To save time, have the butcher cut your beef into stew chunks.  Plus, purchase veggies pre-chopped if you’re really in a bind.)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef chuck (have the butcher/grocery cut into 1-inch cubes, to save you prep time)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive Oil
• 2 small onions (cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 2 cloves garlic (to save time, I buy refrigerated pre-minced garlic) – and I add more than 2! For my latest batch of stew, I threw in 4 cloves.  Use as much/little as you like.
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large bag of carrots (about 8-10 carrots) – peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch long rounds
• 2 bunches of celery (trimmed the ends, chopped into 2 inch- long segments)
• 5 large sweet potatoes (cut into 1-2 inch chunks)
• 1 can whole tomatoes (I recently used Whole Foods Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted tomatoes, which were delicious in this stew)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 dried bay leaf

To Cook:

1. Sprinkle 1 tsp kosher salt on the meat, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2. If your slow cooker has an insert that can be placed on the stove, brown the meat in a little bit of olive oil, until lightly brown on all sides (if it doesn’t, you can brown it in a separate pan).
3. Pour away the juices from around the meat once browned, then to the slow-cooker, add the meat, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.  Add about once potato (reserve the others until later)
4. Pour in the wine, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and beef broth.
5. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours.
6. Add in the remaining sweet potatoes and cook on high, until soft (another 1-2 hours).
7. Add in a good crusty roll, and enjoy!