Adrians Boutique

Lazy Lady Stew...Crock Pot Version

I absolutely love cookbooks and  have adapted this recipe from a cookbook that I have had for at least 30 years!  Falling in love with my crock pot again this winter…makes life so easy!  You really can prepare a dinner in under 10 minutes in the morning and come home to a delicious dinner with very little prep time or clean up! LOVE THAT!

Start with a couple of pounds of stew meat.

Start with a couple of pounds of stew meat.  Our local grocery store always stocks this in the winter…probably have it in the summer too, but I never make stew in the summer! 🙂

Start with real butter, of course!

Melt about a half stick of real butter on medium high heat…you are going to want your skillet nice and hot!

Dredge in seasoned flour

Season about a half cup of flour with lots of pepper, garlic salt & seasoned salt. Shake about half of the meat at a time to cover completely.

Brown stew meat in the butter.

Brown about half of  the seasoned stew meat at a time in the butter for about a minute on both sides. When nice and brown, transfer meat to a bowl and set aside.

Nicely browned and ready to go into the crock pot.

Repeat with the remaining stew meat. I have skipped this step occasionally when I am in a real hurry…but browning the stew meat just gives the stew a very rich flavor!

Find some good veggies to add to the pot.

Lots of onion, a few potatoes & carrots.  Wash, peel and chop all.

Chop, chop, chop!

Chop whatever veggies you have available…today I had onions, carrots, potatoes and celery.

Load up the slow cooker...

Load the slow cooker in the following order:  Slow Cooker Liner for fast & easy clean up.  Then potatoes, onions, carrots, celery topped with the browned stew meat.  Sprinkle on a little more pepper and garlic salt on top of the beef.

The "Juice"

Next pour in a can of beef broth, or two if you have them available…top with one can of tomato soup.  Add a couple of bay leaves, then a little more garlic salt and pepper. Pop on the lid and you’re ready to rock and roll!

Pop on the lid and you're ready to go!

Let it cook on LOW setting for 8-10 hours…. Serve with some fresh biscuits or french bread.  Delicous…and the leftovers are even better!

Kitchen Keepsakes Cookbook

I got my original Kitchen Keepsakes cookbook as a wedding shower gift way back when…(we’ve been married for over 31 years)…This is my “replacement” cookbook because my original one just fell apart.  They combined their two cookbooks into one which is really nice, but makes for a very thick cookbook! I don’t think it has been in print for awhile though.  Hope you enjoy this Slow Cooker version of an old favorite! Happy Winter Stewing!  ~Vicki

Lazy Lady Stew (Original Version)

2 lb. stew meat, cubed
1 lb. can tiny peas (may substitute 10 oz frozen peas)
1 cup sliced carrots
2 onions, chopped
2 potatoes, pared and sliced
1 tsp. salt
pepper
1 can tomato soup
1/2 soup can water
1 bay leaf

Mix all ingredients in a large casserole. Cook, covered, in a 275 degree oven for 6 hours. The stew meat can be put in frozen, but increase the cooking time by one hour. Not only is the stew delicious, but it is unbelievably easy.  Serve with homemade cornbread and a green salad. (You can easily double or triple this recipe for a crowd.)  Serves 4.

As you can see, I have tweaked this recipe over the years and both versions are delicious!

ADRIANS “A Unique Boutique”
Downtown Buhler, Kansas

www.adriansonline.com
www.facebook.com/adriansboutique
Visit our blog: adriansboutique.com