Slow Cooker Braised Beef and Beer

Ever wonder “what should I cook this week”? I do, all the time. There is much talk in the blogosphere about meal planning so that you can avoid just such questions. Unfortunately, I royally suck at it. I try, really I do but I just don’t stick with it very well and life often gets in the way. Having said that, I have found that if I think about it on Sunday and write down a brief idea of how the week will go, I have a much higher chance of eating at home instead of dragging the family out or ordering takeout.

One thing that can be very helpful are websites that post mealplans. One is the website Everything Mom. I love Everything Mom b/c they have lots of blogs in one place (including mine which syndicates there), printables to help you get organized, forums, give aways and NOW….mealplans). The recipe I’m featuring today comes from her mealplan from a couple of weeks ago. You should really check it out!

Oven Braised Beef and Beer from Canadian Living via Everything Mom meal plan

2 lb cross rib pot roast, boneless, cut into 1 1/2 in cubes
1/4 cup diced bacon
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
3 cups button mushrooms, halved
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, and dried thyme
3/4 cup each beer and beef broth (or all beef stock)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (optional)

In a skillet, heat up 1-2 tbsp of oil. Dredge beef cubes in flour & brown in the oil. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

In the same skillet, fry up the bacon until it’s starting to crisp. Add to the slow cooker.

Drain most of the fat from the skillet. Add carrots, onions, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are softened, which will take about 3 miutes. Add the beer to the skillet and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add all to the slow cooker. Top with beef stock and tomato paste. Stir and then cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or until meet is tender.

Whisk flour with 1/4 cup of cold water, stirring into the cooked stew, then cover and cook on high for about 15 minutes or unitl it thickens up. Top with some freshly chopped parsley.

Recipe Notes: Scattered Mom’s recipe didn’t mention flour in the ingredients so I didn’t know how much to use . I used 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch mixed in water instead. It worked okay but it could have been a bit thicker.**Note- the amount of flour to use is now fixed in the recipe above.** I also used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon b/c it’s what I had on hand. We loved this recipe. I served it with mashed potatoes and it was awesome. The leftovers taste even better the next day!

Don’t forget to head on over to Shan’s to see what else is cooking this Wednesday!