(No Peek) Oven Beef Stew

Find the full recipe at the end of this post.

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Any recipe where you throw the ingredients into a pot and then forget about it for several hours is a “keeper” in my book. Whether it’s Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas or Mama’s Homemade Split Pea Soup. I’m all about easy! This beef stew recipe was handed down to me by my mama. In her notes on the recipe card, it says, “Put it in the oven and forget it!” To that, I say, “Yes, ma’am!”

What makes this beef stew so tender and delicious is that it’s cooked low and slow. Once all the ingredients are put in a Dutch oven and it’s covered, it cooks in the oven at 250 degrees for 5 hours. Cooking beef on low heat for several hours is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat. It also makes the meat much more flavorful.

• Stew Beef
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Beefy Mushroom condensed soup (I use Cambell’s.)
• Dry red wine (You can also substitute water or beef broth.)
• Salt and pepper
• Tapioca flour
• Fresh Rosemary sprigs
• Bay leaf
• Breadcrumbs

There are no potatoes in this oven beef stew. Why, you ask? Honestly, I have no idea. My mama never put potatoes in it. However, she did serve it over creamy mashed potatoes which I’ve always loved. Recently, I tried serving it over creamy grits, or polenta. It was also fabulous served that way!

Lightly grease a large Dutch oven or casserole dish with butter or cooking spray. Mix all the ingredients together (except for the breadcrumbs and rosemary). Pour them into the Dutch oven or casserole dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake covered at 250 degrees for 5 hours. Do not remove the lid while the stew is cooking.

Cooking this oven beef stew at a low temperature for several hours is very important to achieve the best outcome. However, the real secret to this dish is: no peeking. Allowing the ingredients to marry in the covered pot without steam escaping or air getting inside makes this beef stew the best I’ve ever had. I think you will love it too. Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

This (no peek) oven beef stew is perfect on a fall or winter day. The delicious aroma fills the kitchen and warms the house. It is also a wonderful way to warm the bellies and the hearts of the ones you love. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do here on the farm.

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