Beef Stew IV

I'm rating this, based on the recipe as it's written. It's awful, lol. However, it is 100% salvagable. Definately substitute the water with beef broth (I did two cans of vegetable broth and two beef) I added an additional cup of merlot, 3 bay leaves, and some thyme. Rather than simmer in the oven, I transfered the meat to the crockpot after had browned it. Also, I added some fresh minced garlic to the meat while is was browing, and it was great. By cooking in the crockpot, I found that by the time I added the potatoes and let them cook for a good hour or so, the starch from them thickened up the stew just right. I added salt and pepper to taste, and a little more garlic the last 30 minutes or so, and it was really good. But this definately needed some doctoring up!

The best beef stew we've ever had! I've made many stews, so I know what we like and dislike in it. I omitted the worchestire sauce because it just overpowers the other flavors and we really don't care for it. I used 1/2 water & 1/2 beef broth. I also seasoned the meat/flour with blk pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder then saved the leftover flour to thicken the stew with. After browning the meat, I added enough water and scraped up the bits on the bottom of the pan for added flavor, then added all the broth & water, onions and celery. For added flavor, I added thyme, rosemary, extra bay leaf and extra seasonings. I suggest when you cut up the beef, potatoes and carrots, try to make them all the same sizes and not so big. At the last hr, added the veggies, corn & peas and last minute, added the leftover seasoned flour (which was mixed w/h20 so it doesn't get lumpy when added to the hot stew). Served this with french bread and everyone loved it! This will now be our staple beef stew. Thanks

I've been making this recipe for several years, and it is great as is, but I always tweak recipes because my hubby and I love dishes with lots of flavor. I add cumin, garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, and paprika to the flour before dredging the beef. Instead of shortening, I use butter and olive oil. I also substitute 2 beef bouillion cubes for the salt and add 1/4 C ketchup, 1 tsp oregano, and an extra bay leaf. This is a perfect fall or winter meal with homemade bread...definitely one of my favorite comfort foods! This can easily be made in the crockpot so it can be ready when you come home from work. Just brown the beef before adding to the crockpot, add all the rest of the ingredients, and cook on low for 6 hours. Before serving, add the 1/4 C flour paste and heat on high for 15 min to thicken.

I started making this back several years ago and usually make it at least once a month. It is a great base for a stew but it definitely needs alot of flavor added to it. For added flavor and also for thickening purposes....try it this way and I am sure you will not be dissapointed. When the meet is browned and you have added all the basic things such as your water...onions..garlic, etc....let it simmer for about 15 minutes and then try adding.....a few tablespoons each of ketchup...barbecue sauce...A-1 sauce...and chili sauce. Also add some extra worstershire sauce and a tablespoon or so of sugar. I know...it may sound a little strange but believe me...you will love the results! When all that is added...let simmer for about 45 minutes and then add your vegetables and simmer until tender. Do it just this way and I guarantee you that will continue to from now on. The flavors are amazing and it makes this a very satisfying meal.

This was great...my husband loved it, but I did use some variations. First, I dredged the stew meat in flour, season salt pepper and paprika, then I browed it in a pan with olive oil and minced garlic. I added 4 cups of water but also added "Better than Base" which is basically a beef boullion. Everything else is pretty much the same with the exception of adding corn, I substituted celery. It was great, but next time I'm not adding worcestershire sauce, and also watch how long you cook the meat, I cooked it a little too long and it started to fall apart.

This stew is indeed great! It doesnt need the long cooking time to get the desired flavour as well. All it took was an hour and a half. I didnt use shortening. replaced it with normal oil. My boyfriend loves it. I made extra and he brought it to work today and his co-workers tried it and they all think that it is great. Somehow, it tasted better when you leave it over night. My suggestion is cook it the day before you want to eat it and store it in the fridge overnight. You will be pleasantly surprised!

This is THE BEST beef stew recipe. It's a staple at our house- I make it at least two or three times a month! I did change a few things (mostly on advice from other reviewers). I add two cans of diced tomatoes and two cans of beef broth instead of the water, skip the corn and paprika, and double the worcestershire sauce. I also add 1 tsp of parsley and 1/8 tsp of red pepper for a little kick. Sometimes I add a can of garbanzo beans and a can of italian green beans, too. Gives it lots of flavor and texture. Yum! And perfect for this cold weather!

Awesome Stew Joanne! This was oh-so-good! I changed the recipe a little, by omitting the corn and adding 2 chopped celery stalks. Also, instead of adding 4 cups water, I added 6 cups water seasoned with 4 beef bouillon cubes. This made a wonderfully seasoned stew! I will DEFINITELY be making this one again and again.

Thank you so much! I have tried several recipes in an attempt to obtain the same great stew a friend of mine had made. This was excellent! My husband was very impressed. I followed the recipe with the following changes: 2 lbs meat, 6 cups water, 6 beef bouilon cubes, used vegetable oil instead of shortening, no salt, no bay leaf, no corn, added 1 stalk celery & 1 teas rosemary. I mixed 6 tbls cornstarch with 6 tbls water & added it to stew & got the perfect consistency of "old fashioned stew". I made this last night & had to have some of the leftovers for breakfast this a.m. & I usually don't eat any breakfast. Thanks again!

WOW...this was really good. This is the first time I made a Beef Stew and I was very nervous about making it. I followed the recipe however instead of water i used 6 cups of beef broth instead and added some oregano and basil for the spices. I also used green onions. I boiled the potatoes before i added to the pot. This took off 30 minutes of the cook time. My husband could not stop raving about how good the stew tasted.

Great started recipe! I made a few tweaks though, but kept the meat and veggie ratio the same pretty much. I added a few tsp of tomato paste to the onions and browned beef, I didn't have paprika, so I added cayenne and more pepper. I also added a couple chicken bullion packets and some canned corn and frozen peas. I added the potatoes earlier like another reader suggested and it was the perfect consistency! Thanks!

This is an excellent stew recipe, pretty much as is. I did add some beef base to the water since I didn't have any broth, and using water for anything like this is not what I would normally do. I have been making stew for 40 years but decided to see if there was a better way than mine. This is very similar to my own and now I know why. Oh, one more addition at the end - a nit of "Kitchen Bouquet" to add a bit more richness and deepen the color of the gravy. Make dumplings for the top and it is heaven. If you don't like the dumplings, serve it over biscuits. YUMMMM

This is a good basic recipe to build on and much like a recipe I have been making for years. I use two pounds of stew meat and an extra clove of garlic. I find that the flour I dredge with is sufficient for thickening the gravy. I brown my meat with the paprika, remove and scrape the "bloom" up from the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon of butter and a large onion, garlic and some celery (about a cup, diced) and cook till translucent, return the meat to the pan and add the rest of the ingredients. I also use 2 cups of water, 2 cups beef broth and a 1/2 cup of white wine (red will make the potatos pink!). I always use the same dutch oven to brown and bake. Slow oven for a couple of hours or three, this dish is very forgiving of my schedule. I think stew is the most versatile, inexact recipe anyone ever dreamed up and I doubt I have ever made it exactly the same way twice. I only mentioned the things that I do a bit differently, I did use the rest of the ingredients that the contributor used.

Excellent Beef Stew. I made it exactly as written here and it was very good. My husband ate until he was sick...Ha. I will definitely make this again. Pay no attention to the snide review that says this recipe is awful as written. It's just their opinion and nothing else. This recipe is a keeper. Besides, everyone has their own way of doing things in the kitchen...no need to be mean.

Great BASIC recipe that needs a lot of pepping up to be excellent. I added a can of chopped tomatoes, chili powder, tomato paste, a splash of red wine, and changed the water to beef stock. I also added more garlic and Worcester sauce, some dried Mediterranean spices, and 3 stalks of celery. Once I did all that, it was delicious. This is a good basic recipe that can be added to as desired. I'll make again but with my own changes.

I would really suggest adding a small can of tomato paste! It's a great secret ingredient and really adds a fantastic subtle flavor.

Added a pint of Guinness to give it a little depth. Browning the floured meat was a great touch.

The first time I made this recipe, I added more water (total of 6 cups) as others had suggested; the flavor was good, but it was too soupy for our taste. This time I used the 4 cups of water and it was absolutely perfect, without a doubt the best beef stew I have ever eaten. I used 3 beef bouillon cubes instead of the salt, and 6 whole shallots instead of the onion, with a little more corn than 1/2 cup. I think there was a little more than a pound of beef, too. Other than that, I didn't do any tinkering with the recipe--it just doesn't need it, because it's great as is. I have also used pork instead of beef, with peas instead of corn in this case, and it also came out great. Thanks for sharing this one.

I really enjoyed this recipe. I did make some small adjustments for more flavour. I replaced the water for some low sodium beef broth. I also replaced the shortening for some oil, just my preference. And I skipped the Worcestershire sauce and corn because I didn't have any. The key to this recipe is to simmer for the full 2 hours and the meat just melts in your mouth! I have put this recipe in my box to try again.

Excellent!I followed the recipe as stated except that I added a can of diced tomatoes.Everyone in my family loved it with some warm homemade bread.

This recipe is awesome!!! I did make a few changes based on other reviews. I seasoned the flour with black pepper, cumin, paprika & garlic salt. I sweated the onion and garlic in the pot with the meat once it was browned, then added 5 cups of water with 4 crushed bouillion cubes, worchestershire sauce, oregano and an extra bay leaf. I substituted peas for the corn. I also added the tblsp of cornstarch per the recipe at the end.....it was completely delicious and my husband can't wait till I make it again. Thanks!!!

This is a great recipe. Instead of adding beef bullion or beef broth I just added about 3/4 pound more beef since the first time I made the recipe there didn't seem to be enough beef in it. I also added an additional tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce the second time around and that seemed to flavor up the recipe a bit. Also, I added A LOT more vegetables than the recipe indicated, with the addition of PEAS! The peas added a kind of sweet tone to the stew. Another thing I did on the 3rd making was brown the beef until it was dark brown which deepened the overall color of the stew. What should be noted: Do not cook this recipe in a slow-cooker unless you have 7 hours wait time to tender up the beef. This recipe works best stove-top.

As others have indicated, this is a good starter, but needs more attention to flavor. I am "rounding up" to 4 stars, from more of a 3.5 feel for the "as written" version. The "fixes" for the basic included tomatoes, beef broth for half the liquid. But I was glad to find this starter recipe...because it has been quite a while since having made beef stew, and this definitely pointed me in the right direction.

my family loved this stew! we will be making again. I added a little red wine just before serving.

Fabulous! I loved this stew. I added 4 beef boullion cubes while the beef was cooking, and also added celery with the other vegtables.Also, I mixed cornstarch and water together seperately, to avoid clumps, and added it to the last few minutes of cooking to thicken up the stew. It was wonderful. Perfect for a cold night! Thanks so much for sharing!

I added 5 bullion cubes, ketchup and garlic powder and this was so very tasty. I also added the veggies (plus green beans) 30 min after the meat boiled. Cooked app an hour and half and it was very tender and tasty.

This is the best beef stew ever! Everyone loved it and my husband took the leftovers to work for lunch today. I followed the recipe exactly, but instead of removing all the meat when I added the cornstarch, I just mixed the cornstarch on the side with a little water and dumped that right in. I will have to triple this recipe next time! Thanks a lot!

This was pretty good. I cut up 2 slices of bacon real fine and rendered these before adding the floured beef. I added about 4 cloves of garlic with about 1 cup each of onions and celery and carrots which were all cut small and added after the beef was brown. I added about 1-1/2 TBS worcestire sauce, about 3 bay leaves, and about 6 cups of water with 4 packets of low-sodium beef boullion and brought to a boil. Then simmered for about 3 hours. I had to degrease the broth at this point, then i added in about 4 large carrots, chunked, and 3 potatoes. After about 15 minutes, I added a roux of flour and water to thicken up the stew properly, and then added frozen peas (no corn). My husband always insists on mashed potatoes with dishes like this, so I served those on the side.

This was another keeper recipe! I didn't thicken the gravy as written though, I left the meat in and made my roux seperately. Just a 1/4 cup of flour mixed with enough water to make like pancake batter consistency and poured it in...voila! Perfect! =)

Great recipe, but definitely not enough for 6 people :) Double for best results.

This was a fantastic stew!! However I did a few things diffently I omited the corn added 2 extra cups of water with beef bouillon, and near the end of the cooking time added 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1/2 cup of water this gave it a great consistency. Good luck

The recipe, as is, taste bland and has no beef flavor to be called "beef stew". I've never made it this way, but thought I would give it a try since the rating was so high. There must be a lot of people who have not had truly good beef stew. The one good quality was the tenderness of the beef. I will definately add beef stock as I normally would next time.

I followed this recipe to the letter and it was a great success. The only thing I did differently was cook dumplings (made with Bisquick) in the stew at the end.

This is going to be my go to stew recipe. I'm sure the flavor would have been satisfactory as written but I still changed it a bit. I seasoned the dredging flour with a sprinkle of season salt and oregano and then used the remaining flour at the end to thicken. I sauted the onions and fresh garlic with the beef before adding the beef broth which I used instead of just water and added a splash of red wine in the final stage. It's a real good recipe to make your own.

I was definitely wary of this recipe as the ingredients and seasonings didn't seem to be extensive. It turned out GREAT! I used the 4 cups of water called for and added 4 beef boullion cubes. I doubled the amount of beef, garlic, potatoes and carrots and added celery and peas as well as the corn (peas and corn thrown in before serving). With the flour used to brown the meat I added 1 tsp. original Mrs. Dash. The leftover seasoned flour I used to thicken the stew at the end of cooking time...The meat was VERY tender and all the flavors tasted awesome together! I will definitely make this again and will most likely never make beef stew in a crock pot again!

This is another one that I have made for sometime now. I do change several things though. I do not use shortening, I use vegetable oil instead. I omit the corn and add extra potatos and carrots. To thicken it up after simmering for a while I add some ketchup and barbecue sauce, a bit of A-1 sauce if I have it and a tablespoon or so of sugar. I also add, garlic, onion powder and a few dashes of jerk seasoning to taste . It is a definite... mom, can I have seconds from my son :) It is very bland on its own but with my additions it adds great flavor.

This was a good recipe overall but I did find some tweaking necessary. I used a carton of beef broth in place of the water and was very glad I did, I will keep that change when making in the future. I think it would have been pretty tasteless otherwise. If using broth (vs. stock that does not have added salt) you do need to omit the 1 tsp of salt or it will be too salty, just salt to taste at the end if it needs a little more. I also upped the pepper to 1/2 tsp and omitted the corn, just for personal preference. I may add some shiitake mushrooms next time. But otherwise the seasonings and directions were great! Will definitely make again with those adjustments.

Bland as all get out, sorry. Beef stew needs to be hearty, beefy and tasty. This just didn't cut it for my family. It is too watery, and needs to cook longer to tenderize the meat. You don't need to remove the meat when thickening - just use a flour shaker to shake flour into the stew until your desired consistency. I don't add corn, but have added green beans, which the family prefers. The key to a good beef stew is a thick, hearty sauce/broth - it shouldn't be soup like, which is what we got with this. I had to doctor it up quite a bit (spices) and cook it much longer to get it where we like it (thick and hearty).

Good stew. I doubled the seasoning and floured meat in pan. I deglazed pan with red wine and stuck in the crock pot for about 6 hours. In last hour I added potatos, carrots and a can of corn. I thickened with mash potato flakes. Makes a nice thick hearty stew. Also good to deglaze with beer.

Thank You, Joanne, for helping me with my first beef stew. This was really good. I put all the dry spices (except for the salt and plus some garlic powder) in a zip loc bag along with the flour and tossed the beef around in there before I browned the beef in olive oil. After that I added 2 cups beef broth, a cup of burgundy cooking wine and a cup of water and followed the recipe from there. I mixed up the cornstarch with a little cold water, didn't remove the beef to thicken and had no problem. This was really good and stays in my recipe book.

use beef bullion and don't overcook the beef before...it will cook in the stew

I made this stew today. I used beef stock instead of water. I think it could have used rosemary but it was really really good. I would make this time and time again. My kids loved it. I did not take the meat out before thickening and all was good. soooooo gooooood. ( I had two bowels :) )

This was delicious!! I used 3 cups of water and a can of beef broth, added a can of diced tomatoes, & saved some time by using a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Smelled great, looked great, & tasted unbelievable..I'll be making this again!

Added more veggies and used beef broth. It was very good and easy. Excellent leftovers

this is a very basic stew, very easy to make. it tastes what you imagine stew to taste like, sort of bland. i added an extra onion because i love onions, and improvised on the seasonings a bit, added rosemary, thyme, and a bit of smoke flavor, but other than that i stayed true to the recipe. it goes great with a loaf of french bread and some salad.

I don't like beef stew, but my son requested me to make it. I think it turned out delicious but I did make some changes. I used all beef broth for the liquid. I put the spices in the flour and then dredged the beef in it. I used a better quality beef than stew meat and doubled the amount. I also added a can of diced tomatoes with the vegetables along with half a bag of frozen green beans. I doubled the carrots and used red potatoes with skins on. Plus, I quartered some baby mushrooms. The tomatoes give it a little too much tomato flavoring so I added a tablespoon of cocoa which toned it down and gave it a very rich, brown color. It was wonderful. Even I liked it!

This was absolutely delicious. It really reminded me of the stew my mom used to make me, I think she must have also put corn in hers. So that was nice. I just made a few minor changes... used olive oil to brown the meat instead of shortening, added 2 cloves of garlic while meat was browning, omitted onions, added another bay leaf, and added 2 stalks of celery, chopped. Also, I used instant potato flakes to thicken it up instead of cornstarch (I think it's much easier and gets better results). We loved it! Served with french bread to mop up the sauce... perfect for a cold, snowy night. Thank you!

This was my first time making beef stew and it turned out fabulous. I added 2 bouillon cubes as others suggested and added some quartered button mushrooms right at the end. I found the carrots and potatoes needed only about 25 minutes of cooking. I used canned instead of frozen corn and I really like the taste the corn added. I am looking forward to having the leftovers tomorrow night as I expect it will taste even better.

This was everything I could hope for in an excellent beef stew! The flour and cooking process result in a great gravy that is smooth, thick and perfectly flavored. This is nothing fancy- just a real down-home stew that everyone loved! It will be my NEW standard beef stew recipe!

This reminds me of an old recipe for beef stew that I had lost. Thanks for giving it back to me. I added 1 1/2 cups of tomato juice & 2 beef bouillon cubes and omitted the corn. This was delicious.

VBRY GOOD! Doubling the recipe makes a large dutch oven pot FULL! Just fits! I made the following changes: added - 1 can drained corn instead of 1/2c frozen, 1 can green beans, 1 large can diced tomatoes- drained. I used 6T cornstarch and 6T water - perfect for thickening a doubled recipe. Used 1 can beef broth and enough water to make 6 cups total for the 4c water called for. Used olive oil instead of shortening to brown beef. The cooking times were exactly right! My husband loved it - even wanted to take it with him to work. Very hearty and good! Next time I would use flour instead of cornstarch - Just a matter of preference - I prefer the texture of flour for thickening. THanks! I'll keep this one.

I read all the rave reviews about this stew and decided to give it a try. It was very bland, but smelled delicious while it was cooking. The meat did come out tender, and the vegetables just right. I would add a lot more seasonings to get this just right.

I gave this recipe 3 stars because it had good consistency and is a base for potentially great stew. I simmered the meat for only 1.5 hr and didn't need thickeners at the end of the cook time. I added celery and accidentally a little extra Worcestershire, but those changes alone were not enough to make a flavorful dish. I always like to give a new recipe the benefit of the doubt, so I really try to prepare as written. However, for this recipe, my strong advice is to follow reviewers' suggestions for additional seasoning. As written, this is very plain and disappointing.

A good "launching" off recipe. I used beef broth instead of the water for a fuller flavor, and added a few crushed and minced garlic cloves (hey, everythings better with garlic LOL). Make this stew and a loaf of crusty bread and you've got a great rainy autumn afternoon dinner.

Great Stew. The only thing I changed was instead of using water, I used beef stock. Definitely would make again. Thanks for the great recipe.

This was the first time I made a stew and it was great. I followed other reviewers and mixed a bowl of equal parts water and cornstarch, and added it without removing the meat. I also used 2lbs meat, and used canned corn. My husband and toddler both loved it!

good stuff I would make it again

This was a good stew recipe but I was hoping that it would be a little more like a broth instead of the thick stew base. Read the title right!? Well, I was trying to see how it turned out. I still may keep the recipe but remove the flour. Sometimes I like a thick stew base and sometimes I don't. :-)

For years I made a similar stew in a pressure cooker. This stew was even better. I took the advice of many reviewers with a couple other twists, and it turned out perfectly. I browned the beef dredged in flour, salt and pepper/garlic seasoning in olive oil then added chopped onion and 3 garlic cloves until soft. I combined water, 1/2 cup of powdered french onion beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, 3 bay leaves and beef mixture in a covered bean pot and placed in oven at 350 degrees for about 2-1/2 hours. Added potatoes, carrots, a sliced sweet potato and 3 sliced celery stalks & baked for about another hour. Beef fell apart and vegetables were perfectly cooked. The additional seasonings and stock combined with flour made a perfect, flavorful gravy. To thicken a little more I added a small amount of instant potato flakes as someone suggested. Excellent on a cold day!

Didn't add the corn. Very good.

I thought this recipe was very, very good. I filled a zip lock bag with 1/4 cup of flour and a teaspoon each of garlic salt, onion powder, black pepper and Adobo seasoning mixture. I placed the stew meat in the bag to coat and then browned the meat in olive oil. I used 4 cups of beef broth instead of the water and only had to cook the beef for an hour and it was plenty tender. I then added the carrots, potatoes and corn and cooked for an additonal 30 minutes. I didn't need to add any cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce, it was perfect as is! My family raved over the meal and even my picky 2 year old ate it! Thanks for sharing.

I love this recipe. The only thing I changed, was to add a 12OZ. can of V8 juice.

I thought that this was excellent. Easiest and best stew I have eaten besides my grandmothers. I added a can of french cut green beans when I added the corn. I also had to add a can of beef broth for flavor and because it didnt seem to have enough broth. I woud definitely give this a try.

Very good recipe, I encorporated other items...

I was a bit skeptical about this recipe at first, but I decided to go on and try it out. I'm glad that I did, because this beef stew was the best that I've EVER had. I was even asked for the recipe by those that find my cooking bad. So if you are wanting a hearty stew, this one is the one to pick!

Very good basic stew recipe! I used beef broth instead of the water which added a nice flavor. Remember not to boil but simmer the meat. Makes it much more tender. Enjoy!

I don't think anyone could possibly screw up this recipe. A great base that you can spice up as much as you want. I used leftover pot roast instead of stew beef. Started by adding onion, garlic and celery to canola oil in pan, then once those were softened, added the chopped up pot roast that I had tossed in flour. Used beef broth instead of water. Continued as directed after that, but as suggested by other reviewers added a tablespoon each of chili sauce, ketchup, and a teaspoon of sugar. Also added about a cup of leftover gravy. Because I used pot roast, the meat fell apart in the stew which I think makes it taste better! But I think you could do just about anything to this wonderful basic recipe and it would taste great. Thanks for posting it!

This stew is very tasty, I did add 3 cups of beef broth in addition to the water, and cut the potaotes up in 1 inch chunks, as well as the carrots. In the end I mixed the corn starch with a little cold water first then added it to the stew, there was no need to remove the beef, its just easier.

First time around, I made this recipe exactly as is and it was a hit with my family! The second time, I tried to double it exactly but for some reason it just wasn't as tasty. But this instantly became a family favorite!

Turns out great but with changes. Needs a lot more spices. I added oregano, thyme and garlic powder and more garlic, pepper and two extra bay leaves. Others have added tomatoes or ketchup but I find gravy is the best addition. I prepare the gravy according to the package and add about half to the stew. I also increased and added beef bouillon to the water- from four cups to six (1tsp per cup). I start with the four then add the other two with the potatoes, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Next time I will cut the potatoes smaller because it seemed to take longer than 45 minutes and then the beef, though super tender, was falling apart. I may either cut my time for cooking the meat and make smaller cubes or I'll make bigger cubes for the two hours. But we loved the end result anyway. I dissolved cornstarh in a bit of water and added it at the end and before the peas (which I add at the end instead of the corn). This way you don't have to take the meat out. It was very tasty-yum!

This is a great stew! Very filling. The only thing I would say is that this could use more than 1 pound of meat, and possibly additional seasonings/flavor.

A very good stew. I substituted 2 cups of beef stock + 2 cups of water for the 4 cups of water, just to add more flavor. Other changes I made were to add an extra bay leaf and 3 stalks of celery. Instead of regular paprika I used smoked paprika and I used white pepper instead of black pepper. I also took the advice of an earlier review to bring the ingredients to a boil and then to move the pot to a 350 degree oven and cook for two hours. Add the vegetables and then back in the oven for 45 minutes. I really think that was good advice. The meat came out fork tender and the vegetables were delicious. I must say though that I don't feel it served a true six servings, more like four. I think I'll double the recipe the next time I make it.

Good tasty recipe, but you don't need to do all that fussing around, just put it in at the same time, worked for me!

A HUGE hit at last night's party. Covered the beef in salt/pepper/half tsp of cumin before dredging it in flour. Sauteed the onions and garlic in 2 tsp of tomato paste before deglazing the pot with beef broth (instead of water). Added 1 cup of red wine (cabernet) to the pot with the carrots and potatoes. Two bay leaves were definitely needed.

Yumm..this a the best beef stew ever, beef gets so moist and doesnt take all day.

Really nice recipe :))) i didnt have shortening so i used butter, amd i added some celery,too. and it came out great

It's just sort of a bland stew. Not even a potato or two in there.

I browned the meat with olive oil. It is the best stem I made so far.

Pretty good but not great. The only thing I did differently was no paprika, I was out, and I don't think that would make or break it. I was looking for a stew without celery and this fit the bill. It is missing something. I may try it with rosemary next time. It's a keeper for sure, thank you for submitting it. This recipe is good as is or using as a starter to add to.

Seasoned the meat before dredging. Added extra veg (celery, carrots & corn) as suggested by others. Brown well for flavour. I used a Hunter gravy package to thicken the broth. Remarkably simple but hearty stew. It's a keeper.

I was busy working late so I left my husband this recipe to follow. He did substitute celery for the corn and added 1 can of beef broth to thin it out...but it was the best darn stew I have ever tasted. Thanks for sharing!

This turned out great! I did sub in beef stock for the water and instead of corn - I used peas because that's what we had in the freezer. I did not remove the meat before I thickened it. This was a wonderful dish on a cold wintry night! Try it!

Used olive oil instead of shortening as other reviewers suggested; used beef broth/bouillon cubes instead of water; simply cut the onion into eighths; and, after browning the meat (which I sprinkled with garlic powder and fresh ground pepper before flouring) in the cast iron casserole dish, added the broth, onions, splash of red wine, about 1/4 cup catsup, about 1 cup of baby bella mushrooms that I chopped really fine in the processor (as hubby won't eat them if he can see them), and cooked in the oven at 225 for most of the afternoon. Then added shredded carrots and sliced potatoes, along with a can of cream of chicken and an envelope of brown gravy powder mix and put back into the oven at 300 for another hour or so. Added a drained and rinsed can of Lesueur early peas just before serving. Yummy!!

This is the best recipe for beef stew! My boyfriend wanted to know how I made it, it was that good. This is the only one you need! All others don't even come close!

This was really good but only with the changes I made. I added 4 cups of Beef Broth, 1 cup of Tomato Juice, 1 cup of water. I ended up throwing the spices in with the flour in a ziploc bag with the meat to coat. The spices I used was paprika, organo, seasoning salt, and garlic salt. And I also added about 3-4 Tbsp. of Hickory Smoke BBQ Sauce. I then added a few stalks of celery instead of corn. It was delicious! My boyfriend raved about it, and the leftovers were gone the next day!

I thought this stew was pretty bland. not real hearty tasting. I followed the others reviews but it still needs more of something.

Great beef stew recipe. I added some beef broth to it, we don't like our stew so thick, but a marvelous "go to" recipe.

This has become a family favorite. Everyone loves it. Best stew recipe I have tried. I did adjust it as a number of others have.

Good basic stew recipe. I used canola oil instead of shortening. Does not need additional flour for thickening.

I thought this recipe was pretty good, it had all the basics but I made a few changes. I started by making a roux to thicken the sauce and then added the dredged beef to brown. I took others' advice and used beef broth. Instead of corn and carrots I did frozen mixed veggies (because that's what I had on hand) and doubled the garlic. I also used 2 bay leafs and added a medium pinch of dried thyme - not too much though. Turned out very well!

This is a great base for beef stew. There's room to expand upon it and tweak... and yes, as others have said, it can be a bit bland if you don't throw in some beef broth or bouillon or onion soup mix or something. I throw in cabbage and turnips as well, and I toss the onions and garlic in with the browning meat.

DONNAINNC made a great suggestion Jan 7 2004, when she suggested adding things like BBQ sauce, ketchup and the like! WOW! I have been slow cooking my stews for so long (and waiting all day), this took about two hours, and the taste far outweighs the old way I did things!! I used to add onion soup mix to my slow cooker, and it wasn't bad, but this taste is super yummy!

Good recipe! Loved the flavor. I adjusted it some (added more vegetables). I also didn't need the flour or cornstarch-it was plenty thick enough. Overall very good!

This was the best recipe I have found for Beef Stew! No one at my dinner table complained! With three small children all under 7 and a picky husband - that's a first. Thank you so much for sharing. My son even helped out [he's 3].

Excellent. My husband and I polished it all off in 2 days!

Followed receipe to a tee, would not change a thing. Excellent taste, plenty filling for the whole family. Will definitely add this to my receipes.

I too made a few changes...you know-to make it my own. Used Olive oil to brown the meat, used mostly beef broth, added a can of chopped stewed tomatoes, 3 stalks of chopped celery, left out the worchestshire sauce, and then about 15 minutes before we eat I cut refrigerator biscuits into 1/4's and drop individually into the stew to make dumplings...mmm, just like moms!

This was a good recipe. I doubled it and added more vegetables, green beans, more corn even peas. Also substituted water for wine and beef broth. Added lots of garlic and the result was a total success. Great item for a cold fall evening

I read what the other reviews said about the lack of taste and they were all correct, there was no flavor at first. So, I used only two cups of water and 2 cups of beef broth, then I added a tsp of chilli powder, cayanne pepper and last a store bought package of beef stew mix. I cooked the beef in the broth in a slow cooker for about 6 hours then thru in the vegetables for the last 1 1/2 hours. The definatley is the best stew to learn off of and create your own personal recipe from. My family loved the way ours came out. Thanks Joanne!