Easy Beef Stew

Yes, that's right. I stole the recipe and the photo. I'm a big fat thief like that. But I got them from Kraft Foods (see the permalink on the right hand side). They do this awesome thing called "5 Dinners One Bag". If I ever actually made dinner five nights a week, I would totally do it. As it stands, I only go "all-out" for dinner when Alan is home. The rest of the time, Mason and I eat leftovers, or stick with soup, sandwiches, or salad.

Serves: 4 in Time: 9 hrs 30 mins.

1 C. beef broth
1/4 C. Italian dressing
1/4 C. barbeque sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 lb. boneless beef chuck, cubed
1 lb. red potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, sliced in thick slices
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 slices of bacon, chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. water

-Combine broth, dressing, barbecue sauce, and oregano in the slow cooker. Add meat, potatoes, carrots, onion, and bacon and toss to coat. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 8-9 hours.

-Stir together flour and water to make a paste. Remove meat and vegetables from slow cooker and set aside. Add flour mixture to liquid in slow cooker, stirring until well combined. Add meat and vegetables back in, and cover. Let cook an additional 15 minutes or until gravy is desired thickness.

Notes: I like a lot of gravy or sauce in my stew, so next time I will probably double the liquid from the outset. I added more beef broth at the end but did not add more water/flour, so it wasn't as thick as I would have liked this time around. Overall, I was really surprised by the mild flavor and how well it all came together.

For more recipes like this or more of the 5 Meals 1 Bag ideas, check out Kraft's website.