Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Its been incredibly freezing around and there is one thing I want when its this cold. Beef Stew! I love a good hearty beef stew but hate when it comes out too heavy. So I decided to give this new recipe a try. I did change a few things up a bit to my liking but over all it came out excellent. Next I think I will try this with chicken and chicken stock and see how it comes out! I love the kale in it. It really brightens the stew up!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ pound stew beef

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to season beef

½ teaspoon pepper, plus more to season beef

4 medium/large red potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into bite sized pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 large carrots, peeled, chopped

1 onion coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 cups beef stock

Water

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped into small pieces

Directions:

Pre-heat a large pan over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. When pan is ready, add 1 tablespoon oil and in two or more batches to cook the beef. Brown on at least two sides, about 3-5 minutes per batch. You do not want to overcook the beef since you will be cooking it all day. When the first batch is done, add the cooked beef to the slow cooker. Add additional oil to the pan, if needed, and cook the next batch. When the last batch is done, add ¼ cup water to the pan and scrape up the brown bits. Pour the beef and liquid into the slow cooker.

Add potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, teaspoon ½ salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and beef stock. Stir. Fill slow cooker with water until it just reaches the bottom of the top level of vegetables. Don’t completely cover the veggies!!

Cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat is tender to your liking.

Stir in kale, re-cover, and cook for about 15-25 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and tender.

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(I found the original recipe at http://thechiclife.com/2014/01/healthified-slow-cooker-beef-stew-recipe.html -- Feel free to check it out! She has many different recipes on her blog!)