Hi there! It’s another Tasty Tuesday, and I have a delicious savory dish for a cold night,easy beef stew! And I’m sharing how to make some super easy and delicious dinner rolls as well!

Our family loves a good hearty stew, it seems the perfect thing to satiate hungry tummies especially as the weather gets colder! My husband Troy was the first one to make stew in this house maybe 10 years ago. We were hooked! It’s good and so easy to make, and I wanted to share this recipe with you!

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of stew meat
• 3 stalks of celery
• 3 carrots
• 2 potatoes
• 1 medium/large onion
• 1 clove of garlic peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbsp Veg Oil
• Lightly Salt pepper meat in frying pan
• 5 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 shakes of liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• dash of ground allspice or ground cloves
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch Optional as thickener (we did not add any cornstarch)

Brown meat in skillet in 3 Tbsp of vegetable oil, over medium high until well browned on all sides- 5-10 min. While it is cooking, season with salt and pepper.

Coarsely cut the celery, carrots and onions. Keep onions separate.

Clean and slice the potatoes.

Pour 5 cups of water in a large pot. Place heat between low and medium to simmer.

Add in the peeled clove of garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, paprika and allspice. Add in the onions.

Add in the meat and all the juices in the skillet.

Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Then add remaining vegetables.

Cover and cook an additional 30-40 minutes. Holding the vegetables back until this point helps keep the texture of the vegetables from becoming too mushy. They will still have absorbed much of the juices and flavor. Remove the bay leaves and discard.

We prefer our stew with more of a broth like liquid. But some people prefer the liquid thicker. Now if you want to thicken the broth, you can now add in the cornstarch. Using a separate bowl, add a 1/4 cup of water and 2 Tbsp cornstarch and stir. Add in to the stew and stir and cook until blended and bubbly. 

I also wanted to share how to make dinner rolls using frozen dough. These are so easy and really good. The only thing you need to remember is to allow plenty of time for the dough to rise. Earlier in the day begin this process so you have plenty of time.

All you need is frozen dinner rolls (we like Rhodes) and some cooking spray.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

Add in frozen rolls according to package directions, we added 20 frozen rolls.

Spray the top of the rolls with additional cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and allow rolls to thaw 4-5 hours.

Here they are after being allowed to thaw and to rise for about 5 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove plastic wrap. Bake in oven uncovered for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. You won’t believe how heavenly it will smell! Brush the tops with butter or use a stick to lightly butter the tops. Instant hero status right here.

I wish I could just hand you one of these beauties to see how good they are with very little effort!

So our stew is ready and so are our rolls… let’s eat!

Yum! Nothing beats stew with a rich beefy broth, and warm baked rolls.

Add in a nice salad and some fruit, and some nice sweet treat like cupcakes.

So many good flavors come together in this stew. Honestly I think it is even better the next day reheated. There is something lovely about a good stew. Every time you make it, it seems to have its own flavor, it is absolutely awesome, and yet absolutely unique each time! I think it has to do with the tiny variances in the seasonings and simmerings… and it is all exquisitely delicious! Your family will walk in the house and smell that delicious stew and its like love in a bowl! When you are really hungry, if you have a pot of stew, you are the richest person in town!

Our families and relationships are kind of like that stew! Over time, something so special happens in families and friendships… a comfort, a blending, an ease, and something we know is so nurturing, so wonderful when we are together. As we go through the events of our lives, both the best and worst of times, we come together in a way that permanently changes us, bonding us together.

I don’t know if you remember a story from childhood called “Stone Soup”. Everyone in a little community came together to add an ingredient to the stone soup. They brought savory vegetables and spices and meat and when it all came together, the soup was glorious! I love that story because what made it so delicious is what each person brought to that pot of soup! Each person in our lives brings something wonderful to our hearts, and it makes this life simply glorious! Like a great stew!

I hope you have a fantastic week! I’ll be back Tuesday for another Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

The love in our family is strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep.  ~unknown