I modified this so heavily from the recipe I based it on that I won't even bother to link to the original. Here's what I did.
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
lots of baby carrots (a couple of handfuls at least)
lots of new potatoes (a couple of handfuls at least)
1 pound stew beef
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cups or so beef broth
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1. Cut the potatoes in half. I found a bag of mixed-variety new potatoes - red, white, and blue, actually. The variety was nice. Don't peel. Don't cut too small. Place in the slow cooker, arranged around the edge of the pot.
2. Cut the carrots in half. Put in slow cooker, arranged around the edge of the pot.
3. Cut the beef into chunks and coat with flour. Brown in a skillet or wok. Transfer to the slow cooker, spreading evenly over bottom of pot.
4. Pour the wine into the pan you browned the beef in and stir until the bits of flour are all taken up. Pour into pot.
5. Chop onion into chunks, place in pot on top of beef.
6. Sprinkle thyme, Italian seasoning, celery seed, W sauce over veggies and beef in pot.
7. Pour tomatoes (don't drain) and tomato sauce over what's in the pot.
8. Add enough beef broth to almost cover ingredients in pot. More or less according to how soupy a stew you like.
9. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
10. Serve with good crusty bread.
This came out pretty good. A little more acidic than I would have preferred, so it's worth fiddling with the flavorings. But still pretty satisfying.
