CONFESSION: To say my husband’s a little timid about cooking is an understatement. Still, occasionally he’s willing to tackle dinner, as long as he has VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS. This is the email I sent him to make this delicious beef stew. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe, just season to taste (I season generously with garlic salt, pepper and random herbs).

1. Clean carrots (peel if you want, it’s not necessary if they’re clean), cut into large chunks. All of them (yummm, carrots)
2. Clean potatoes, cut into large chunks (quarters). About half as many potatoes as carrots is a good margin (yummm, carrots)
3. Cut mushrooms in half if button, chunks if portobella
4. Peel and cut two red onions in quarters
5. Mince one full clove of elephant garlic (you can cut it in pieces and run it through the garlic press)
6. Use the Penzey’s beef roast seasoning. Read the directions and add 2x  the recommended amount of spice.
7. Up to you if you want to chop the meat into cubes. It can go in as one big slab and will break apart well enough.
8. Place potatoes and carrots and half of onions and garlic at bottom of crock pot with a sprinkling of the spices.
9. Add beef
10. Add the rest of the beef broth in the carton in the fridge (1 cup) and 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 can cream of celery
    
11. Add seasoning
12. Add mushrooms and second half of onions and garlic.
13. Heat on low ‘til I come home.

About 8 hours later we had awesome stew!! Because of the cream soups, this version isn’t a very rich gravy but it’s tasty and  full of flavor. Super easy!

Sunday dinner this week was a team effort, pairing my pot roast with Samm’s unbelievably creamy “Wallpaper Paste” mashed potatoes. And so here are two recipes for you!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 4-lb. Pot Roast, well marbled, cut into chunks
• 3–4 large carrots (or two ENORMOUS carrots, like I used)
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1  turnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, sliced thick
• 1 package baby bella mushrooms
• 4 large cloves minced garlic
• 12 oz. (approx 1 can) beef broth (reduced sodium or a natural brand)
• 1 small can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 packet Lipton Onion Mushroom soup mix
• 1/4 cup flour
• Penzey’s Krakow Nights seasoning, to taste

Line bottom of your crock pot with the carrots, parsnip, turnip and garlic. You can use potato too, but since I knew this would be accompanying mashed potatoes I kept them out. Pour cream of mushroom soup and broth on top.

Mix onion soup mix with the flour; toss meat to coat, then layer meat on top of vegetable/soup mixture. Top with onions and mushrooms.

Cook on high for 5 hours, low for 8–10 if your crock pot can handle it. When about an hour is left to cook, add the Krakow  Nights seasoning. 

For a thicker gravy, spoon out the juices into a saucepan and mix with a cornstarch roux.

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Samm’s Wallpaper Paste Mashed Potatoes

• 6 russet potatoes washed and half way skinned and cut into evenly sized pieces (about 1 inch wide)
• Boil
  a big pot of water. Once the water is at a rolling boil add the
  potatoes. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
• Put hot potatoes into the food processor. Add about a 1/4 cup of
  milk and a 1/4 cup of butter (or more butter if you like). Add salt to
  taste.
• Pulse the food processor making sure you get the majority
  of the lumps. It’s done when the potatoes are smooth and sticky. They
  should stick to your spoon when you turn the spoon upside down. You can
  add more or less butter/milk depending on how you like it.
• A trick I like to do is during the last 3-4 minutes of the potatoes
  cooking time I add some garlic powder and fresh chopped garlic to the
  boiling water. It adds a nice garlic flavor that’s subtle and not too
  strong.

These were the perfect complement to the stew; I’ll definitely make this recipe again!

I served this over some mashed purple potatoes acquired at the Oak Park Farmer’s Market. The result is a bit strange-looking but really delicious. Purple potatoes have a really delicious, rich, earthy flavor that are a great contrast to your average mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Pork Steaks, Country Ribs, or Pork Chops, chunked
• 1/2 onion, sliced ; 3–4 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced
• 1 envelope Onion Mushroom Soup Mix (or any variety of Onion soup mix)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste (I prefer Amoré Double-Concentrated Tomato Paste in a tube… you won’t waste half a can of tomato paste ever again!)
• Baby carrots, frozen corn, frozen peas, vegetables as desired

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Sauté onion & garlic in olive oil. Add pork chunks and brown on all sides. Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer on low until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked through, about 15–25 minutes.

I like serving this over mashed potatoes, but you can also cut up potatoes and add them to the stew as well.