Crock Pot Beef Stew

Original Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 8

1-1/2lbs stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1lb white potatoes (about 1 large potato,) peeled then chopped
8oz whole mushrooms, cut into quarters or sixths if large
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (I like Lea & Perrins)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
32oz gluten-free beef broth (which is 4 cups FYI)
1/4 cup gluten-free or all-purpose flour (dish will not be GF if using all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions
Add ingredients from stew meat to beef broth into a 6-quart crock pot then cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat is tender (mine took 6 but it will depend on how big your stew meat is cut.) I added everything to the crock pot the night before then popped into the crock pot base in the morning and turned it on.
Add flour to a bowl then add a ladleful of cooking liquid and whisk until smooth. Pour back into crock pot then stir well to combine and cook on high for 30-45 more minutes, or until broth has thickened (Note: broth will continue to thicken while cooling.) Add peas then let sit until heated through, 5 minutes, before serving.

Just as a note I did not make this because it was gluten free! I liked the ingredients in this one. 

I used 4 yellow potatoes for this one. Otherwise I actually followed the recipe (mostly because it already had garlic LOL)

The boyfriend was over for this one and he and the kid both agreed that it could use less rosemary. I decided that I need a spice mill so I can turn rosemary into something that isn't a pointy little stick that gets stuck in your gums!!!

The flavour of this was really good. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I used the 3 tbsp of tomato paste out of one of those little cans and what was left was about another 3 tbsp so I popped it into a zipper top bag and into the freezer it went for the next time!

I was VERY leery about adding the flour as I have made other recipes in the past that got very gelatinous the next day with the addition of it. That was not a problem at all here. Actually there were complaints the night of that it wasn't thick enough and I found it didn't thicken much more overnight.

The one thing the recipe forgets to tell you is to find that darn bay leaf and toss it out!!! You don't want anyone eating that thing!

I will definitely make this recipe again with maybe just a few little tweaks like the rosemary thing!