Beef Stew
with Dehydrated Carrots, Potatoes,
Onion, and Celery

Beef stew in a square bowl with a dark interior

Enjoy a hearty bowl of beef stew. Make it in your slow cooker (aka crock-pot).

Let the aroma of this delicious dish fill your home and your tummy when you get home from work!

Please take a moment to read the note at the bottom of the page regarding adding more stock—if you have to leave this dish unattended during the day.

This recipe contains dehydrated onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, and garlic (and FRESH beef). You don't need to rehydrate the veggies prior to slow cooking. Just make sure to keep your eye on it during the day as mentioned above

If you have to leave it unattended, it's always best to add "too much" stock than not enough.

If, upon your return home you have too much stock, do this:
Drain off the excess stock, and put it in a small saucepan. In a separate jug: add a small amount of water and add flour or cornstarch to it. Mix well.

Add this flour/water mix to the stock in the pan and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes to cook the flour. Save this thickened meaty sauce for biscuit-dipping or pouring over boiled spuds!

An Old-Fashioned Hearty Dish

Beef stew is a hearty dish that has its roots in peasant cuisine. It was traditionally made with whatever meat and vegetables were on hand. Over time, it has evolved into the dish we know and love today.

Beef stew typically contains beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery cooked in a rich broth. It is then thickened with flour or cornstarch and typically served with bread or biscuits.

Best Cuts to Use for Beef Stew

The best cuts of meat for beef stew are the tougher, cheaper cuts like chuck roast or round steak.

These cuts of meat are high in collagen, which breaks down into gelatin during cooking.

This makes the stew nice and thick. It also gives the meat a more rich and flavorful taste.

Ingredients for Beef Stew

   salt* and pepper to taste

I make this beef stew in a slow cooker—how easy is that?

How to Make Delicious Savory Beef Stew

  1. Put the dehydrated items and seasonings in your slow cooker.
  2. Prepare 3 cups of beef stock in a large jug. Add the Worcestershire Sauce, ketchup, and optional tomato paste. Stir to dissolve the ketchup.
  3. In a separate jug, measure 1/4 cup of cold water, add the flour, stir well, then add this to the beef stock and Worcestershire Sauce and ketchup mix. Stir well.
  4. Add the stock mix to the slow cooker (let it cool so you don't shock your crock(pot)!
  5. Add the stewing beef. Stir gently to mix all. Cover with slow cooker lid.
  6. Turn on the slow cooker to low heat, for 4 - 6 hours.

*IF you need to add salt, do so, BUT be careful NOT to over-salt as the bouillon has salt in it.

Want to Use Fresh Ingredients?

If you want to use fresh ingredients that you may have on hand, do this:

Beef stew in a square bowl with a dark interior

Exchange the dry ingredients in the recipe, above, for these fresh ingredients listed below!

  • 2 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes, washed, peeled, and sliced
  • 1/2 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced

and

  • 2 slices of fresh elephant garlic, or 1-1/2 small cloves of "regular-sized" garlic

When You Return Home from Work...
Your Delicious Beef Stew is Ready to Eat and Serve!

Beef Stew, dry veggie ingredients in a slow cooker
Beef Stew with dry ingredients, raw beef, and stock in a slow cooker.

This is what your beef stew will look like with the dehydrated veggies.

Fantastic Beef Stew made from dried ingredients, in a slow cooker

And when you get home from work, you'll lift the lid to discover a super-satisfying stew.

You can see how much the stock/water level reduced to make the thick gravy; that's why it's important to make sure you add enough stock in the first place!

Slow cookers are great for simmering stews all day. You get to enjoy a nourishing meal at day's end, check out these from Amazon, below:

Super SLOW COOKERS at Amazon

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry

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  • Easy-to-use locking lid

Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Set & Forget Slow Cooker

  • Hamilton Beach Portable Slow Cooker
  • Patented Temperature Probe
  • Clip-tight gasket lid prevents messy spills when transporting

Hamilton Beach 5-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

  • Hamilton Beach Portable 5-Quart Digital Programmable
  • Full-grip handles make carrying heavy meals easier
  • 2 choices for easy, automatic cooking

Cuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

  • Cuisinart 3-1/2 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, Silver
  • Touchpad control, 24-hour LCD countdown timer
  • 4 Cooking Modes

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no price increase to you. Read disclosure here.


🍍 🍎 🥦 🥔  🍒 🧄

20 Taste-Tested EASY Recipes - eBook or paperback

actually, there are 26 recipes!

The recipes also include the
food ingredient amounts to use
when you have fresh food on hand!

Here's How to Make EASY
MEALS with Dried Food

Recipe Book

🍕 Pizza!      🥧  Shepherd's Pie!
🥘  Beef Stew!

plus Cauliflower Soup and
Cauliflower Mash, along
with crazy Carrot Soup!


Desserts:
Carrot Cake and
Cranberry Pineapple Pie!
and more...

🍍 🍎 🥦 🥔  🍒 🧄

Here's How to Make EASY
MEALS with Dried Food

Recipe Book

20 Taste-Tested EASY Recipes - eBook or paperback

actually, there are 26 recipes!

🍕 Pizza!
🥧  Shepherd's Pie!
🥘  Beef Stew!

plus Cauliflower Soup and Cauliflower Mash, along with crazy Carrot Soup!

Decadent Desserts:

Carrot Cake and Cranberry Pineapple Pie and more...

The recipes also include the food ingredient amounts to use when you have fresh food on hand!


Traditional Irish Stew

Irish Stew in a pan

Irish stew is a variation of beef stew that is popular in Ireland.

It typically contains lamb or mutton, potatoes, carrots, onions, and fresh herbs.

Some recipes also call for the addition of Guinness Stout, giving it a rich and flavorful taste.

Irish stew is typically served with boiled potatoes and crusty bread.

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is a traditional Southern dish that is popular in the states of Virginia and North Carolina. It is typically made with chicken, pork or beef, vegetables, and a tomato-based sauce.

The stew is traditionally cooked in a large pot over an open fire. This gives it a smoky flavor that is unique and delicious.

I recall dining out and enjoying a bowl of Brunswick Stew... they'd hollowed out a round bread 'bowl' and poured in the stew so nothing went to waste. Delicious memory!

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