Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Mr. Prevention usually makes fun of my attempts to prepare beef because we eat so little of it in our house, and we both prefer our beef medium-well…leaning more towards “well”. Almost always we would choose chicken or seafood over beef, but sometimes…there’s nothing like MEAT.

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and kept thinking about trying a traditional stew…for the first time ever. I know, I know. I’ve been living behind a  crock pot rock.

Us bloggers also tend to think that sometimes, the “classics” bore people and we need to try recipes that are new and different and unique. But, that’s really not the case. There’s a reason stew has been a household staple for many, many years…duh, self

What may surprise some is how HEALTHY this meal is — under 300 calories for beef stew?! Believe it. Stew beef is extremely lean (and moderately priced!) which makes it ideal for recipes like this that utilize the slow cooker to keep meat tender and flavorful with the low temperatures and long cooking time.

Not only are the calories low and the cost in check, but the recipe is low in fat, high in fiber (full of veggies of all different colors), and has lots of protein for keeping you satisfied…until dessert. Which you can enjoy because, well, dinner came in under 300 calories!

Note to self: Sometimes, the classics will surprise you. You even polled the audience, and got lots of “thumbs up” for hearty beef stews.

My only regrets are 1) Mr. Prevention had a work dinner thing last night and saved no room to try my masterpiece. (I’ll approach him with leftovers today, no doubt). and 2) that it was raining last night. Otherwise, I would’ve happily taken some of this plentiful stew over to our friend’s house who had a baby last week. But, I don’t really deal with rain all too well (random, but true).

At least I know what lunch is. And I can’t wait. Time stamp: really early morning. Though it’s never too early to have a game plan for your next meal, especially when it’s healthy to boot.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew adapted from Movita Beaucoup

1.25 lbs stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 (15 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped into large pieces
1 rib celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
10 small potatoes (~1.5 lbs), halved
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups low sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef to skillet and brown the meat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add tomatoes to the slow cooker. Add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the vegetables and then add the beef and any accumulated drippings. Pour beef broth over the beef and vegetables. Add the bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

About 20 minutes before serving, add the peas, salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Yield: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 heaping cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 290 calories; 7.3 g. fat; 50 mg. cholesterol; 461 mg. sodium; 31.7 g. carbohydrate; 5.0 g. fiber; 22.5 g. protein

Result: Comfort food…ultimate comfort food. I could barely get a bowl out before I was eating my meal straight from the crock pot. I was able to throw this together the night before and store it in the fridge over night. I popped it in the crock pot at 7am and a 5:30pm, I was enjoying this meal. My house smelled amazing. The beef was lean. This is packed with vegetables and absolutely wonderful — carb-controlled, low in fat (for a meal), high in fiber, and lots of protein…and, low in calories, too! I don’t make too many dishes time and time again, but this one will be on repeat!

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Hard to believe but I’ve only got 6 recipes left to go for the cookbook…and T-12 days until my manuscript is due. AHH! 🙂 I think I can…I think I can…

Be well,