I got a day off from tutoring today, so I decided to work from home so that I could make some yummy beef stew that I made last winter and Brian has been asking for for a while now. It takes over three hours, but it is definitely worth it! I use our cast iron dutch oven that my Aunt Emily and Uncle Rodney got us for our wedding. (Thanks, Rachel, for writing down who got me what!) Anyway, here’s the recipe.

Hearty Beef and Potato Stew (Cooking Light, month/year unknown)

Cooking spray
16 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups chopped onion
3 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes, divided
1 cup dry red wine
1.5 cups chopped carrot
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1.75 teaspoons salt
.5 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1.25 cups water, divided
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2.5 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon flour
Chopped parsley (optional)
2 (8-ounce) baguettes, each cut into 6 equal portions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic; saute 1 minute or until garlic just begins to brown. Remove garlic from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add onion to garlic. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half of beef to pan; saute 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Add beef and any accumulated juices to onion mixture. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add remaining beef to pan; saute 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Add beef and any accumulated juices to onion mixture.
Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add beef mixture. Stir in carrot, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Add 1 cup water, broth, and tomatoes; stir to combine. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1.5 hours. Remove from oven; uncover and stir in potatoes. Combine remaining .25 cup water and flour; stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir flour mixture into stew. Cover and bake an additional 1.5 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve with bread. Yield: 12 servings (about 1 cup stew and 1 portion bread).