Traditional Beef and Irish Stew

This week for the Comfort Food Feast on FN Dish, we made the comforting dish of beef stew! Beef stew is such a classic and easy dish to make.  Like my Chili, I often make my stew in a slow-cooker when I have time on the weekends.  This can easily be made in a regular saucepan though.

Of course, I could not make just one stew this week.  Since I love the smell of stew simmering in the kitchen, I ended up making two different types of stew - a traditional beef stew and a traditional Irish stew! Although St. Paddy's day is still over a month away, I figured I would start getting ready early!

Beef Stew Recipe 

Ingredients:
-3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef for stew (or chuck meat)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 bag baby potatoes cleaned and cut in half or left whole - it's really what you prefer
-1 1/2 to 2 pounds baby carrots
-About 4 to 5 stalks of celery, sliced
-8oz can of diced tomatoes
-2 beef bouillon cubes
-Salt, pepper, and parsley to taste
*Optional - a little flour (about a tablespoon) and water mixed together to thicken the broth

For the Irish Stew recipe and directions, CLICK HERE.

Directions:
Place all ingredients, except for the potatoes, into a slow-cooker and add just enough water so that all ingredients are covered.  Let cook in the slow-cooker anywhere from 4 to 10 hours, depending on the settings your slow-cooker has.  I add in the potatoes with about 1 hour to go, just because they soften up and cook easily.  I also like to make this a day ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to meld together and really enhance the dish.

If you are in more of a pinch and do not have time to use a slow-cooker, than here is how to prepare in a regular saucepan:

First, saute the onions and beef with the olive oil, and season with the salt, pepper, and parsley.  Then, add in the celery and carrots.  After a few minutes, add the diced tomatoes, and fill with water and add the bouillon cubes.  Let cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before adding the potatoes.  Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes and thicken with the flour and water if desired.

Then, scoop the stew into a bowl, dig in, and enjoy!

Irish Stew Recipe

Check out the other participating blogs as well:
The Cultural Dish: Traditional Beef and Irish Stew
Taste With the Eyes: Spinach Mushroom Risotto With Pecans 
Devour: Top 3 Chicken Stews
Cooking With Elise: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Virtually Homemade: Winter Vegetable Stew
The Sensitive Epicure: Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie With Lamb and Rosemary
FN Dish: Stand-Up Stews Pin It