By Holly Sosa
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayPairings #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.
One of my favorite things my Grandma Bonsole makes is her Hearty Beef Stew that’s loaded with root veggies my grandpa brings in from his garden. One winter when I was visiting my home state, Michigan, I asked her to share her secrets with me and she was happy to oblige (don’t worry, she gave me permission to share!). This winter, warm your insides on a cold day with this comforting beef stew that only gets better the longer it simmers.
Place a pound of stewing beef in a bowl and sprinkle it with roughly a tablespoon of meat tenderizer. You can usually find this beef at your local Walmart in the beef section conveniently labeled, “stewing beef”. The tenderizer is the secret to ensuring this stew meat is tender and not over cooked or grisly. Combine the tenderizer with the meat and then use a fork to stab the pieces of meat all over. Set the bowl aside and let the tenderizer work it’s magic.
Next, you’ll slice up roughly a pound of carrots.
And a pound of golden potatoes. When you’re chopping these up, keep in mind that these are going from spoon to mouth and ensure they’re bite size.
In a large pot, toss in the carrots and potatoes.
Cover them with beef broth and boil them over high heat.
While the veggies are cooking, warm up a large skillet over medium high heat and add the beef.
Completely brown the beef and set aside.
Once your veggies are tender to your preference, add the beef to the pot and stir.
All everything to come together for about a minute or two.
In a small bowl, combine three packets of gravy mix with one cup of cold water.
Add the gravy mixture to the pot.
Allow the broth to thicken, stirring occasionally ensuring the gravy mixture doesn’t settle at the bottom. To ensure a thick sauce, you’ll need to let everything boil together.
I love to serve this stew in deep bowls, garnished with parsley for added color. It’s so flavorful, all thanks to the gravy mix and beef broth that adds all the seasoning you need. It’s been particularly cold here the past few days and this hearty beef stew was extra yummy and our tummies welcomed the extra warmth.
If you’re entertaining guests this holiday season, this stew is easily doubled and a great way to serve a crowd. Grab a bottle or two of Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon for a good red wine to pair with the beef flavors in the stew. You could even splash a bit into the stew itself for a richer flavor. Complete your holiday gathering with a box of Pepperidge Farm Cookie Collection, which is one of my husband’s Christmas favorites.
Walmart’s got all of these essential party foods and more for holiday entertaining and even family meals, like Barilla Pronto Pasta, which is a new no boil, no drain, time saving pasta to whip up dinner for your family or even a side dish for this hearty beef stew recipe I’ve shared today.
- 1 pound carrots, sliced
- 1 pound golden potatoes, diced
- 1 pound stewing beef
- 1 tablespoon meat tenderizer
- 2 cartons beef broth
- 3 packets brown gravy mix
- 1 cup water
- parsley (optional garnish)
- In a large bowl, combine stewing beef and meat tenderizer. Set aside.
- In a large pot, add carrots, potatoes and broth. Cook over medium heat.
- While stew cooks, brown stewing beef in skillet and set aside.
- Once potatoes and carrots are fork tender, add in beef.
- Allow stew to come to a boil.
- In a small bowl, combine gravy mix packets with one cup cold water.
- Add gravy mix to stew and allow to come to a boil until stew thickens and sauce is glossy.
- Serve immediately with parsley garnish.
Be sure to visit the Simple Entertaining hub for information on upcoming Estancia wine tastings and Barilla and Pepperidge Farm demos at select Walmart stores from November through December.
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