Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs beef chuck
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
• 4 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup frozen peas

Steps

1. 1Toss the beef with the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper until dusted all over.
2. 2Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high and brown the beef in two batches, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Scrape it into the slow cooker.
3. 3In the same skillet, soften the onion 3 minutes, stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute, then deglaze with a splash of the broth and pour it all over the beef.
4. 4Add the remaining broth, Worcestershire, potatoes, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours (or HIGH 4 to 5), until the beef shreds at a touch.
5. 5Stir in the peas for the last 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, taste for salt, and serve in deep bowls with crusty bread.