Nothing says welcome to fall like a steaming bowl of hearty stew.
Beef, potatoes and peas and in a rich sauce is the right dish to serve when there is a chill in the air.
But if you’d rather spend your time at football games and visiting pumpkin patches instead of in the kitchen, this slow-cooker version is worth trying out.
It comes from America’s Test Kitchen’s new book, Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2: The Easy-Prep Edition. The recipe uses condensed soup, tapioca and frozen peas for a stew that requires no stove-top preparation before going in the slow cooker.
EASIEST-EVER BEEF AND POTATO STEW
2 cans (10.5 oz) condensed French onion soup
1 cup water
¼ cup tomato paste
2½ tbsp. instant tapioca
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 lbs. small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 lbs. sirloin steak tips, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 cups frozen peas
Whisk soup, water, tomato paste, tapioca and thyme together in slow cooker (5½- to 7-quart size); stir in potatoes. Season beef with salt and pepper and stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
Using a large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of the stew. Stir in peas and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Adjust stew consistency with extra hot broth as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Makes six to eight servings.
— Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2:The Easy-Prep Edition, America’s Test Kitchen
Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa.