Spicy Crockpot Beef Stew

I think Crockpot cooking is a great way to go, especially on a busy day when there doesn’t seem to be enough time.  I don’t really eat a lot of beef but when I do I like really lean meat to avoid much of the fat.  The trick with meat like that is low and slow which makes it perfect for the Crockpot.  My beef stew has a little kick to it which can be tamed by eliminating the jalapeño pepper.  With or without this stew is pretty tasty!

• 1 Pound LEAN Stew Meat (Inexpensive is perfectly fine for this recipe)
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Container Mushrooms (about 10), halved
• ½ Pound (8 – 10) Small White Potatoes
• 1 Bell Pepper (I prefer red)
• 6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1 large Carrot, sliced
• 1 large Jalapeño pepper, sliced
• 1 14.5 ounce Can Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (diced)
• 1 14.5 ounce Can Beef Broth
• 10 stems Fresh Thyme (optional), tied together to fish out when finished.
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Garnish/Toppings

• Parsley (about 1 Tablespoon per bowl), chopped
• Scallions (about 1 Tablespoon per bowl), sliced
• Plain Greek Yogurt (1 dollop per bowl)

First, Toss the cubes of meat with the flour.  Heat the oil on high and brown the meat on all sides, but no need to cook…just looking for color.  Toss the meat into the Crockpot.

Second, toss the remaining ingredients into the Crockpot and give it a stir.

Finally, turn the Crockpot on low and let it do all the cooking…for about 8 hours.  Take out the bundle of thyme (if used) when stew is finished cooking. 

Spoon the stew into bowls and garnish with the parsley, scallions and Greek yogurt.  Enjoy!

I do love to cook but I find my Crockpot to be a huge lifesaver on a busy day.  I do this on a Sunday usually when I have a lot of running around to do duri9ng the day and I just don’t feel like coming home and cooking!  I always a little fresh to garnish because it brightens it up a bit.