Italian Hunters Stew

This is best enjoyed on a crisp fall evening...sitting by the fire pit...with a bottle of red wine.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 large onions, quartered
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces mostaccioli or penne pasta, cooked and drained
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Toss meat with flour; brown on all sides in oil in 5-qt. Dutch oven. Add garlic and onions; saute until tender. Stir in the broth, seasoned salt, chili powder, oregano and rosemary.
Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and carrots. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat and carrots are tender. Stir in macaroni; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider Beef Stew

Fall has arrived and time to pull out all my stew recipes!  This is one of my favorites because it's done in the crockpot.  Bonus!

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen vegetables for stew (about 24 ounces), thawed
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
2 teaspoons steak seasoning
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1-1/4 cups apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water

Preparation:

Place the vegetables, water chestnuts, mushrooms and onion in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the gravy mix, soup mix, steak seasoning and cinnamon; add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. Add to slow cooker.
Combine the broth, cider and tomato sauce; pour over beef. Add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender.
Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into stew. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf.