This past weekend my main man Ben whipped up a batch of his famous Beef Stew with mashed potatoes and it was so dreamy that I immediately stole a bowl to photograph for you!
Ben’s beef stew is the epitome of winter warmth, and he’s been making it nearly every weekend for a month now. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share it! This dish is hearty, cozy, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. We call it beef stew but what it really is, is gravy, which is why it’s so delicious draped over a bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes. The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth, and the sauce is packed with flavor. Get your spoons ready!
What’s Inside:
Finely diced vegetables and dried herbs are sauteed with tender bits of stew meat before braising the afternoon away in beef broth thickened slightly with butter and flour. It is TO DIE FOR and just the thing to tuck into on a cold night. Add a class of cab and a roaring fire and you’ll have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming!
What is the Best Meat for Beef Stew?
We buy “stew meat” for beef stew with mashed potatoes, which is usually cut from a chuck (shoulder) roast. That said, you can also use a top or bottom round roast or beef tips for beef stew. Many recipes call for leaving the meat in large chunks, but Ben cuts the beef into small, bite-sized pieces so melt in your mouth in the final dish.
Do I Have to Brown the Meat for Beef Stew?
Normally, if you were using large hunks of roast for beef stew, yes, you would want to brown them first before simmering/braising. Since the beef is cut small in this recipe, all you need to do is saute in a Dutch oven before braising. One less step, FTW!
Is Wine Needed for Beef Stew?
The short answer? No, it’s not. Wine can add a great depth of flavor to beef stew, and Ben has deglazed the pan with a big glug of red wine after sauting the vegetables in the past, but you can still get wonderful flavor without it.
Alright fam, fire up the stove and let’s get cooking!
How to Make Beef Stew from Scratch:
Start by chopping all the vegeatbles – the smaller the better. That way they really melt into the sauce (which is important because I hate big hunks of cooked carrots!)
You’ll need carrots, celery, and shallots or onions, plus lots of garlic.
Once the prep work is done, heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat then add dried thyme and rosemary. Let the herbs saute for about 30 seconds.
Next add all the chopped vegetables to the pot, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Next add sliced mushrooms then saute until they’re tender, another 5-7 minutes.
Now add stew meat cut into bite-sized pieces. Season with LOTS of salt and pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes then brown the meat, about 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together melted butter and gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour in a small dish. Add to the Dutch oven then stir to coat the meat and cook for 1 minute. This mixture will give the Beef Stew a bit of glossiness, richness, and thickness. It is a must-have for delicious, thick Beef Stew!
Finally, stream in gluten-free beef broth or stock then turn the heat to high and bring the stew to a boil.
Pop in 2 bay leaves then place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
After two hours, take the lid off then simmer low and slow for another 1-1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is very thick. Again, we’re going for a gravy-ish consistency. Last step for the Beef Stew is to add frozen peas then cook for 2 minutes.
About 45 minutes before the stew is done, make a batch of mashed potatoes, which is what Ben always serves his stew over (you could also serve it with egg noodles or gnocchi.) He whips his potatoes with milk, butter, salt, and a dollop of sour cream – a unique addition that I had never tasted before. It totally makes the mashed potatoes though – try it sometime!
Similar Recipes:
- Crock Pot Beef Stew >
- Tuscan Sausage and Vegetable Stew >
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- Homestyle Beef and Noodles >
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Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes
Description
Beef Stew with mashed potatoes is cozy to the max! Slow cooked on the stove and packed full of flavor, each bowl is like a food hug.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 carrots, chopped small
- 2 ribs celery, chopped small
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 8oz sliced button mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2lbs stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 Tablespoons gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour (dish will not be GF if using AP flour)
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 32oz gluten-free beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas
Directions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add dried thyme and rosemary then saute for 30 seconds. Add carrots, celery, and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until vegetables are browned and tender, 10 minutes. Add mushrooms then saute until tender, 7-10 more minutes. Add garlic then saute for 1 minute, or until very fragrant. Turn heat up to medium-high then add stew meat, red pepper flakes, lots of salt and pepper, and then saute until meat is browned, 8-10 minutes.
- Whisk together melted butter and flour in a small dish then add to pot and stir to coat meat. Cook for 1 minutes then stream in beef broth. Turn heat up to high and bring stew to a boil then add bay leaves. Place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium-low, and then simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lid then simmer for another 1-1/2 hours, or until meat is tender and stew is thickened, stirring occasionally. If stew begins to thicken before meat is tender, place lid back on top. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary then add frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves then serve over mashed potatoes.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Love that you served it over mashed potatoes. My husband would swoon with this dish! Great winter meal – I feel warm already.
My mom just called to ask what we wanted to eat when we were home for Christmas and we said beef stew! I will have to show her this version. The one I grew up with had potatoes in it, but over mashed sounds amazing. Don’t tell, but we also put ketchup in our version!
Any suggestions on how to modify this for a crock pot? I have an ancient aga cooker, so simmering all day isn’t really an option. :(
Same question here!
I was wondering this too :) my gas bill would be sky-high!
I would probably do everything through browning the meat on the stove then transfer to the crock pot and add the broth and bay leaves. Cook on low 4-5 hours and during the last hour mix up the flour/butter mixture with some broth to make it even thinner and stir it in. Let it cook for an hour on high then add peas for another 10 minutes. I’ve never tried so this is a complete shot in the dark, but that’s what I would do!! I like the idea though, so I’ll have to give this a try sometime!
I have it going in the crockpot right now! Excited to see how it turns out.
SOLD! I’m definitely pinning this to try for my meat ‘n potato man :)
I’ve been keeping my eye out for a good beef stew and I think this one’s a winner. My hubs loves some stout in his stew, so I’m wondering how it would be to swap out some broth for Guinness…can’t be too bad an idea, right?!
Thanks for sharing!
Where is Lincoln’s adorable shirt from? Love it and it would look so cute on my little guy! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This looks so delicious and your photos are absolutely fantastic! Thanks for sharing, this is a perfect winter meal!
Ben did a fabulous job! I love that he creates his own recipes. I actually just posted a recipe today from the man too! It’s nice to relax and let them take control in the kitchen every now and then.
Lincoln’s flannel is so adorable! Screaming is a completely normal reaction, in my book.
This is my first time commenting but I have been reading since the beginning! And I am a fellow Valley Alum! This looks delish! I have been looking for a beef stew that thickens for some time. I have tried other stews and they always end up more soup-y rather than stew-y.
I also love that you used punum in this post! My Jewish – Yiddish talking – mishpacha (family) appreciates it!
Looks so yummy for these cold winter days! Thanks for posting yet another great recipe. Can’t wait to make it!
BTW your link to your “homemade pasta” goes to Crockpot Thai Chicken.
Look forward to reading your blog everyday Kristen! Thank you
MmmmMMmmm! That looks so good! I love how thick and luscious the sauce is, and I love very cooked carrots too. I can just smell it through the computer screen!
Looks great for this horrible winter days we’re having. I can’t feel my feet – hopefully this will restore that.
Can Lincoln get any cuter? He is adorbs!!!
That looks like a great stew and I can’t wait to make it. I love that you put it over potato!
Mmmmm Looks so good!
PS, you look like the happiest mommy in the world!
Love the plaid on Lincoln. He is adorable. I also put a little bit of butter milk to my mashed potatoes with the sour cream….they are the best!! I usually do the red potatoes with the peeling on. Yum! Looking forward to trying the beef stew.
So excited about this! I have loved so many of your dishes. I used to have a beef stew I made and loved but it has tomatoes and sadly i can’t have them anymore. This is a perfect substitute!
Yay–finally the recipe! It looks so good!
This looks so good! But can you replace butter with anything else? Apple sauce?
Lincoln is absolutely adorable and looks like such a happy little guy! This stew will definitely be tried at our house! Merry Christmas from a fellow Iowan from West Des Moines!
Your fam is just so cute I can hardly stand it! Hope you are enjoying every minute of your first holiday with the new baby! And love the idea of serving this stew over mashed potatoes, reminds me of a shephard’s pie of sorts, Yummmm :)
Yes!!! I am so excited for this recipe Kristin! I am buying all of the ingredients and making it this Sunday! Thank you!!
My non-veggie loving husband will most certainly balk at the mushrooms (makes me sad), but I’m wondering about the celery….does it totally cook down? Or is it detectable? If it’s covered in gravy, he might not notice;).
You absolutely cannot tell that there is celery and carrots in here – the only reason you know there’s carrots is because of the color, but the texture just melts right in. I’d just make sure to cut everything extra extra small!
I made your recipe for Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage Pasta tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you!!
This meal looks filling and delicious. My family and I have had soups/stews on Christmas Eve a few times. I’d love to turn it into a tradition.
P.S. Productive, low-key weekends are much needed (and deserved)!
This was awesome!! Thanks Kristin!
This looks so comforting for a chilly night. And I’m obsessed with the little hipster flannel! So sweet!
Thanks for this amazing recipe! I made it last week and it was perfect!
I might try with a crockpot next time.
WOW! This is so good!! The depth of flavor is amazing and I love that the potatoes aren’t in the stew, where they would get grainy and gross. The mash is genius. I will be adding this to my favorite recipes! Thanks so much!
Where is Lincoln’s shirt from? So cute!
It’s a onesie from Carters!
There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of this stew on a cold winter day!
[…] Recipe: http://iowagirleats.com/2013/12/16/beef-stew/ […]
I made this today–perfect for a sub-zero day in Iowa City! My hubby said it was the best beef sew he’s ever had and I agree!
Thank you for blogging practical and always easy and yummy recipes. I’ve been using recipes from blogs for about two years now and this was the first time my husband absolutely insisted that I write to say how good a dish was. It’s just perfect and we loved it! Thanks for sharing!!
You should try using AE Party Dip in place of the sour cream in the potatoes sometime. Delicious!
Ummm SO BRILLIANT! Love that idea!
My husband made this for us and YUMMY!! Such a comfort food and a new family favorite for us. Keep sharing, love your blog!!
[…] We have been eating a LOT of soup. I highly recommend this chicken stew recipe and this beef stew recipe. Also, have been drinking moderate amounts of alcohol. It’s cold out. Cut me some […]
This is cooking in my pot right now, my house smells fabulous! I think I’m going to do it over egg noodles
This is cooking on the stove right now! It smells so good…I’m making it to bring to my father’s for dinner tomorrow night! I’m thinking it will taste even better heated up the next day!? Thank you for the recipe!
p.s. I did add a little red wine ;-0
I made this yesterday afternoon to counter a very snowy day in Chicago – it was perfect! I love stew but am not crazy about tomato-based stew recipes. This was exactly what my boyfriend and I were craving. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Just wondering if the veggies are mushy? I usually brown my meat and then simmer the meat slow and low. I toss in the veggies much later. Interested in trying a new way just leery of mushy veggies lol
They really melt into the sauce – except for the occasional chunk of carrot, you really don’t even know they’re in there!
I made this a couple nights ago and my husband and I just loved it! I’ve never tried stew over mashed potatoes before, but now I’m smitten. I will *definitely* make this again. And again. And again. :)
Love this! I made my stew with mushrooms for the hubby last night and was looking for pics of what to serve it with… I think I’ll serve it with some yummy creamy cauliflower :) Love your site!!
[…] Source: iowagirleats.com […]
My husband asked for vegetable beef stew to be included on the menu this week. Of course my first stop was a visit to Iowa Girl. :) I made Ben’s stew tonight with a few additions: green beans, black eyed peas, kale and sungold tomatoes from my San Francisco garden (yes, we CAN have a garden in the city!). It was delicious served over cornbread. Iowa Girl (and her Guy) come through again! This is going to be added to our fall and winter rotation for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! We really love this recipe, actually one of my fave winter comfort stews. Made it a few times after you posted it last year but recently we stopped eating gluten (i think you did to?) What do you think would be a good sub for the flour-roux? I would hate to mess with the texture of the soup because that is one of the best parts. I’m just not sure what would be a safe alternative and keep the stew as delicious as always… Thanks so much Kristin!
Great question, Nicole! We have made this several times with rice flour – both brown and white – with identical results. I hope this helps! :)
Would like to make this. Could I put in my cuisinart dutch oven & place in oven to cook for a few hours? And if so, what temp would you recommend? Thanks.
Hey Ann! I’m not sure what the cooking time/temp would be for this dish in a dutch oven placed in the oven. I only tested the recipe on the stovetop. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help I just don’t want to guess then not have the dish turn out for you!
Try swapping top sirloin for the stew meat. It reduces your cooking time way down and IMO makes for a better tasting stew.
I just found this recipe in time for the Ohio cold snap of 2015. It is SO. COLD. And now this stew is simmering on my stove and I’m getting all weepy. Especially since I made this to freeze it and no one is going to be home to eat it in my house tonight. Massive miscalculation. Maybe I’ll just eat it by myself while they’re all out!
You have made me a follower. Maybe even a stalker. Not sure yet.
I hope you enjoyed, Elisabeth!! :)
Oh, my word: this is my husband’s dream stew! I can’t wait to have time on the weekend to make this for him. Thank you!
This looks wonderful! If I left out the flour mixture, would it be more soup-like? We are used to eating our beef stew as soup. This would take care of the gluten issue too?
Thank you!
Yep! If you left the flour out it would be more like a soup. We use rice flour to make it gluten-free, too!