Crockpot Beef Stew

One of the easiest cool weather dinners I make is this delicious crockpot beef stew. Using the slow cooker makes dinnertime simple, and the addition of coffee in this stew creates a rich flavor everyone loves.

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Other meals that are perfect for your crockpot include my slow cooker Hungarian Goulash, my crockpot roast beef with less than 8 ingredients, and of course one of our faves, this Mississippi Pot Roast.

Crockpot Beef Stew

If you haven’t heard of adding coffee to beef dishes, you are missing out. It’s a great addition and doesn’t make your end result taste like coffee. Keep in mind, since this is cooked in a slow cooker you don’t use a lot of liquid. The cooking process will develop liquid of its own.

Ingredients needed for beef stew in the slow cooker

• Use beef stew meat to make things easier. You can also use round steak, round roast, or chuck roast and cut it into cubes yourself.
• All purpose flour is used as a thickener and to dredge the meat.
• You will need olive oil for browning the meat and sauteing the vegetables.
• I prefer baby red potatoes for this recipe, but you can replace them with Yukon Gold, regular sized red, or other waxy fleshed potatoes. Russets are not a good choice as they will get mushy and not hold their shape as well.
• I use dried thyme in this stew instead of fresh because I’m usually making this during the colder months after my garden has been harvested. If you want to use fresh herbs in a crockpot dish is a waste to me, unless you are adding it at the end.
• Simple seasoning includes regular table salt and ground black pepper.
• You’ll need some onions (yellow or white) and your favorite mushrooms.
• Don’t be afraid that there are 5 cloves of garlic in this recipe, the flavor is very mellow.
• Your liquids include beef broth and brewed coffee, decaf is fine if you prefer. It does not have to be hot, you can reserve a little from your morning pick me up.

Helpful kitchen tools:

• 5-6 quart Slow cooker
• Large skillet
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board

How to make Crockpot Beef Stew

1. Dry the beef stew meat and dredge it in the flour. Brown the beef cubes in a large skillet in olive oil. Once it’s browned, add the meat to the crock of your slow cooker. Dump in the quartered potatoes then toss together with the beef. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper.
2. Don’t clean out the skillet. You want to save any brown bits that were left in the pan. Saute the slivered onions and sliced mushrooms in some more olive oil until the begin to get tender. Add the garlic and saute for a minute longer. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the crockpot.
3. Add the broth and coffee to the skillet and use a spatula to deglaze the pan. Scraping up all those yummy brown bits and mixing them into the broth mixture. Simmer for a few minutes and then add it to the slow cooker.
4. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Helpful Tips

• No need to make a pot of coffee (unless you want to!) for this recipe. Simply save a little from breakfast. You only need a small amount.
• You can prep the night before by cutting the meat into cubes (if not using pre-cut beef stew meat), and slicing the onions and mushrooms.
• You can even cut the potatoes ahead of time. Simply submerge them in clean water and keep them in the fridge to prevent browning.
• Yes, decaffeinated coffee is fine!

What can I serve with this beef stew?

• Pair this stew with my pull apart dinner rolls and you have a satisfying meal for your family.
• If you love a sweeter roll, this beef stew is great with Hawaiian rolls. If you love to bake, you can try my homemade Hawaiian rolls recipe.
• Another favorite of mine are these homemade Bretzel Rolls. If you’ve ever had warm pretzel buns at a restaurant, you understand the obsession!
• If cheese is your thing, try my gooey garlic cheese rolls, they are delicious.

What to serve for dessert

Since the slow cooker will free up your hands during dinner, you’ll have time to whip up dessert! Here are a few of my favorites:

• This pumpkin cake is the perfect size, and it’s topped with a creamy white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
• I don’t know too many people who would turn down the best chocolate chip cookies!
• We love layered refrigerator pudding desserts, and this Sex in a Pan is one of our favorites.

More slow cooker recipes you will love

This is one of my favorite stew recipes, I make it all the time! It’s great for those nights when you won’t be home until after soccer practice, dance recitals and dental appointments. If you love your slow cooker as much as I do be sure to try my crockpot macaroni & cheese. I have a lot of crockpot recipes you can try!

While not in the crockpot, try my Irish Stew as well.

This post originally appeared here on Mar 2, 2012.