Witch’s Stew

One of my favorite recipes of all time is my grandma’s beef stew (no, I am not implying she’s a witch). Even as picky little kids, my sisters, cousins, and I all loved this meal (just implying that this stew is magical). A few years ago I practically begged my grandma to teach me how to make it. She laughed and told me it was easy, and she made it look that way when we made it together. It took me a few tries at home on my own to perfect it, but now that I’ve got it down pat, I’m here to share it with you. This recipe is a crowd pleaser, it’s simple, it’s healthy, and it’s easy to make in bulk!

Here’s what you need to comfortably cook in a standard large pot (you can double this recipe if you want to make more and use a stock pot, or even triple it if you have a pot big enough). One recipe makes about 10 cups of stew.

• 1lb of stewing beef (cut into cubes)
• 2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2-3 large carrots, cut into about ½ inch slices
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 can of Italian seasoned stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 2 cups of frozen peas
• 2 cups of frozen corn
• Approximately ¾ cup of white flour
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp of marjoram
• 1 Tbsp of oregano
• ¼ cup of butter

Heat pot to medium low. Melt the butter and add the onion and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add the stewing beef and brown on all sides. Be sure to stir a lot during this part. Add ¾ cup of flour and stir until beef is evenly coated. Immediately add 4 cups of water, potatoes, carrots, stewed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir well. Add more water if needed to completely cover all of the vegetables. Turn heat down to low and cook for 2 hours, stirring frequently (if you don’t, it sticks to the bottom and burns, and then  your stew tastes like you licked a bonfire, trust me). After 2 hours, add frozen peas and corn, marjoram, and oregano. Once the peas and corn have heated up (15 minutes should do it), taste your stew. Add more seasoning as needed. During the 2 hours, your stew should thicken. If it seems runny, add more flour and cook half an hour longer.

That’s it! This recipe can be refrigerated or frozen if you’re into batch cooking, and I think it actually tastes better after a day or two in the fridge. Plus it’s only about 175 calories per cup, with 10 grams of protein, so it’s pretty healthy to boot! Gotta love that warm, hearty goodness as the weather keeps getting colder!