As the weather gets colder, chilled foods like salad, coleslaw and gazpacho quickly lose their appeal. When you come inside after being out in the cold, wind or rain, nothing sounds more comforting than a bubbling casserole or a steaming pot of chili, soup or stew. But instead of slaving over the stove for hours after a long day when all you want to do is dig in to your dinner, slow-cookers allow you to have food on the table the minute you walk through the door.
Slow-cookers are amazing tools to have in your kitchen if you run on a busy schedule, as most women tend to do. If you have the ingredients on hand, there is virtually no prep work or actual cooking required on your part, which makes slow-cookers great for novice chefs as well as culinary experts. Simply throw your ingredients in the cooker before you head out the door and by the time you come home at dinnertime, you’ll have a hot meal waiting that’s all ready to be served. Try this easy beef stew recipe the next time you’re looking for a dinner that’s hearty, healthy, and oh-so fall.
Beef Stew from Hunt’s®
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 8 hours
Serves: 6
Calories per Serving: 345
Ingredients
- PAMR Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1 medium onion, chopped (1 medium onion = about 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 2 cups sliced celery
- 1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into chunks
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 14.5 oz can Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 6 oz can Hunt’s® Tomato Paste
Directions
- Spray the inside of a 3-1/2 quart slow-cooker with cooking spray. Place onion over the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the following ingredients in this order: carrots, celery, potatoes and beef. Sprinkle with thyme. Pour undrained tomatoes and water over the top of the beef.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is tender.
- Stir in tomato paste. Cover; cook for 10 more minutes on HIGH.
Serve and enjoy!
Guest Writer – Meredith Kimelblatt
Meredith Kimelblatt writes on behalf of Hunts®. To browse through dozens of slow-cooker meals, easy chili recipes and hearty fall dinner recipes, visit www.Hunts.com.