It is easy to make this fancy stew when made in the slow cooker. Just brown your meat, add ingredients, cook, make the gravy/sauce and you will have an excellent dinner. Serve on top of your choice of mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles.
2 1/2 lb. stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks, patted dry with paper towel
1/4 c. flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 t. Italian seasoning
3 T. olive oil
2 c. red wine
2 c. beef stock
2 T. tomato paste
2 c. baby potatoes
2 c. baby carrots
8 oz. button mushrooms
12 oz. bag frozen pearled onions
2 t. garlic, chopped
mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice
In a large bowl, combine stew meat with flour; stir to coat. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add stew meat in batches, browning 3-4 minutes per side. Line the crock of the slow cooker with a slow cooker liner for easy clean up, then transfer meat to slow cooker.
In the pan, turn heat down to medium; add wine, beef stock, and tomato paste. Using a spatula, scrape up brown bits at bottom of pan. Stir together until tomato paste has dissolved. Pour on top of beef in slow cooker.
Add vegetables and garlic and stir. Cook on low 8 hours or high for 6 hours. Serve on top of egg noodles, mashed potatoes or rice.