All I want for Christmas is my Crockpot. And Stew. Regular Beef Stew.

I came across a recipe for Stew that used butternut squash and was served over mashed potatoes.  I thought it sounded very fall-ish and homey so I made it.  Hubby and I liked it, but it ended up being a little odd for us.  So, I tweaked it a bit and made a more traditional stew which turned out exactly right!

If you’d like to make the Harvest Stew, just substitute one small cubed butternut squash in place of the potatoes, carrots and turnip.  It’s good both ways.  I’m sorry, I think I might just be a little prejudiced against butternut squash in my beef stew.

Personally, I’m going to put this in my crockpot the morning of Black Friday so that a hearty warm stew will be waiting for everyone when they return from shopping. This is a real stick-to-your-ribs kind of stew.

Every year Hubby and his friends brave the brutal weather at 3:00 a.m. in late November to stand in line and bring home the deals.  While they jump up and down to stay warm in line out in front of Best Buy, I lay snug in bed.  Dreaming of anything but being cold.

Beef Stew

2 1/2 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup flour
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 tsp. beef boulion
1 1/2 cup hot water
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped celery
3 minced garlic cloves
3 large potatoes, cubed
1/2 turnip, peeled and cubed
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced

Rinse the stew meat and pat dry with paper towels.

Place flour, salt and pepper in a large zippered bag.  Add stew meat and shake to coat.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.  Add stew meat, stirring until browned.

Add the tomato paste, beef boulion and hot water.  Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the cooked bits.  Pour the entire mixture into the crockpot.

Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic.  Stir.

Place potatoes and turnips over the top of the stew.  If you use a soft skinned potato, such as Yukon Gold, you do not need to peel the potato.

Do not mix in the potatoes and turnip, let them sit on top of the stew.  Cover and cook for 4 1/2 hours on low, or until meat is tender. After the stew meat is tender, you can begin mixing in the potatoes and turnips – waiting will keep them from getting overcooked and broken up and mushy.

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