Beef goes great with acorn squash in this thick stew made in the crockpot. Browning of the meat helps avoid that greyish color often associated with crockpot meat. However, if you are in a hurry, you can skip the browning step and toss the raw meat in with everything else.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours,
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 pound chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 large red potatoes, cut in 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium sweet onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 package dry mushroom gravy mix
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 large bay leaf, broken in half
Preparation:
Sprinkle the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet and coat the bottom of the pan with the olive oil. Brown the beef in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. Place in the crockpot along with pan juices.To the crockpot, add acorn squash, potatoes, onion, mushroom gravy mix, tomatoes, garlic, allspice, and bay leaf. Stir with a large spoon to combine.
Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
