Oven Beef Stew

My wife wanted the stew made with onion soup mix. I wanted the stew because I just really like stew. Making a double batch because I am going to our grandsons hockey game tomorrow. The game starts at 4:30 which means I won’t get home until after 6. Leftovers means I can eat in about 10 minutes after I get home. I found along time ago that when making a large amount of stew it’s better to cook it in the oven. With a large amount on top of the stove you end up with stuff sticking to the bottom of the pot, and things don’t cook evenly. The oven method gives even cooking and a better finished product.

The onion soup mix my wife wanted is actually a good way to make stew. It isn’t the normal way I make a beef stew but I like the taste it gives to the stew. In fact it’s the first way I ever made a stew. It has been about 4 or 5 years since I made it this way. Even using onion soup mix, stew is still a healthy meal. When you make it with 4 times the vegetables to meat you create a very healthy meal.

2 pounds beef stew meat

4 onions quartered

4 carrots cut in 1 inch pieces

4 ribs celery cut in 1 inch pieces

1 turnip cut in chunks

4 potatoes cut in chunks

4 cloves garlic smashed

1 package of onion soup mix

4 bay leaves

4 cups water

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper (onion soup mix is salty so you need to be careful with the salt)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper a cutting board and mix the stewing beef on the board. Sprinkle beef with the flour and mix it in. Preheat a frying pan on medium high heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Brown the meat in batches, you want it heavily browned. While meat is browning mix 3 cups of water, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves in a small roasting pan. When the meat is browned transfer it to the roasting pan, deglaze the pan with 1 cup water and pour into roasting pan. Bake in a 325 oven covered for 3 hours. After 1 hour add the vegetables and mix. After the 3 hours remove to stove top and thicken. You can serve with bread or buns or what ever you like. I like to have the end pieces of rye bread