Easy Beef Stew Baked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Secret Agent's Note:

This is in the oven right now and it smells so good, we can hardly wait for it to be done! No browning necessary. Company coming? Toss in another potato and carrot - this recipe is forgiving! Serve with Jelly Jar Biscuits, hot and buttered. My youngest brother would find out I was making this stew and biscuits and he would invite himself over and eat me out of house and home. His favorite way to eat this stew was on top of buttered biscuits. I think with a salad and dessert this would serve about 6 but around here I would say it serves 4. ***UPDATE*** This recipe is for a cast iron dutch oven with a heavy tight-fitting lid. I've made this a million times and have had left-over gravy for noodles, rice, etc. Make sure you don't bake at any higher temperature than 300* and you don't use corningware or any other casserole. The heavy cast iron Dutch oven with a lid will prevent almost all of the evaporation of liquid, kind of like a slow cooker.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 4-6

Yield: 6.0

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef cubes, lean
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (or six chunks)
• 1 lb carrot, peeled and chunked
• 1/2 large onion, peeled and quartered (or 1 - 1 1/2 cup pearl onions)
• 1 cup celery, chunked
• 1 cup rutabaga, peeled sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon McCormick's Montreal Brand steak seasoning
• 1 tablespoon parsley, flat leaf, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chives, snipped
• 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into the dutch oven and stir to mix.
2. Cover and bake at 300* for 4 hours or until you are ready to eat.
3. You can thicken the gravy with 1/4 cup of flour mixed into 1/2 cup of water - stir and cook until on top of the stove until it is thick enough for you. We like it just the way it comes out of the oven.
4. Serve with hot buttered biscuits, Jelly Jar Biscuits .

Reviews

[dolores in paradise]

This is the first time I enjoyed eating stew. stew just never taste as good as it looks. This stew had a very good flavor and I had a lot of liquid. I just used my corning roast pan and fitted foil over very tight. I did not use the rutabage (personal thing) Thank you secret agent, now I will make stew again. TIP..Did everyone notice 15 oz tomato sauce ? that would be 2 small cans.

[CJAY]

I have to agree with the other reviewer. This was tasty enough but way too dry for our liking. I used a dutch oven with a very tight fitting lid so that isn't the problem. No way did this look like the photo.

[vwterry]

Seasonings were delicious, but there was not nearly enough liquid. I cooked this for 3 1/2 hours, and the liquid was gone. The result was tasty, but didn't look anything like a beef stew.