Hearty Beef Barley Stew

[labmom]

This is one of Dave's favorites. It requires a big crock pot and makes a lot but is good. I like it with a loaf of hot bread also.

2 cups baby carrots (we don't add these as neither one of us like cooked carrots).
1 package (10 ounces) fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 and 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into 1 inch cubes (I just put the whole thing in there without cutting it)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
2 cans (14 and 1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 can (14 and 1/2 ounces) dices tomatoes, undrained
2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked pearled barley (YUM)
1 cup frozen green peas
Salt and pepper to taste

In crock pot, layer carrots, mushrooms and beef. Combine Onion soup mix, broth, tomatoes, water and barley; pour over beef.
Cook, covered, on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours, or until beef is tender.
Just before serving, add peas and cook, covered 5 minutes, until heated through. Season, if desired, with salt and ground pepper.
Serves 8
Prep time: 10 minutes

[eeoski]

Betsy,

NICE! I love soup with barley.

Robin

[Trailer Trash 2]

Is that in a standard size crock pot, or the 3 quart size.

[Ms McGyver]

Did you ever do bread in another crock while you were making the stew? I sometimes have three running at the same time! One with bread or a side dish, one with a main dish, and one with dessert.

[eeoski]

Oh my goodness...I only have one large crockpot and didn't even know you could cook bread in one. (My crockpot is 28 years old so I don't think they even had recipes for something like that back "in the day"!) It also draws power like you wouldn't believe! If I had three of the same type going at the same time I'd probably cause a brown out in Oviedo!

Robin

[Snowhawk]

Hey Lisa... care to share that bread recipe? I, also, never heard of making bread in a crock.

[labmom]

Hi Georgia-the one that I use is a standard size crockpot (I think that is a 5 quart size). Sorry about that.
Betsy

[Ms McGyver]

Whole Wheat Crock Pot Bread Yields 2 loaves.

2 c skim milk (or made up dry milk)
2 T vege oil
1/3 c honey or brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 pkg dry yeast
2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c white flour


Prepared loaf pan (or pan to fit your crock*) by greasing well. Also grease a piece of foil that will cover the pan.

Sift together flours, Divide. Mix together all but reserved flour and beat for 2 minutes with dough hooks. Add remaining flour, mix well. Place dough into pan, cover with prepared foil and let stand at least 5 minutes so the yeast will activate. Place in crock.

Cover crock, bake on high 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Remove from crock, let stand 5 minutes, serve warm.

Notes: Don't substitute artificial sugar in this recipe. The yeast needs the sugar to leaven the bread.

*You can use coffee cans, flower pots with the bottom hole covered, anything that will fit your crock pot. Two 2 lb coffee cans work well for this recipe.

You can halve the recipe if using jarred yeast. You would use 1/2 t + 1/8 t yeast, 1 cup milk, 1 T oil, 1 oz plus 1 T honey, 1/8 t salt, 1 1/4 cups wheat flour, 1/2 c plus 2 T white flour.

Multiple Pots:
I have a 12v pot and a 110 pot in the Monty. I use the multiple pots mostly at home. When throwing a winter party, I also employ my roaster as a wassail pot.

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by labmom

Hi Georgia-the one that I use is a standard size crockpot (I think that is a 5 quart size). Sorry about that.
Betsy

Thanks Lisa

[Snowhawk]

Thank you Lisa... I wonder if it will work with one of my non-gluten recipes??? I'm allergic to wheat