Hearty Beef Stew Over Garlic Mashed Potatoes

It's finally verrrrry cold here in Southern California (you know, below 60 degrees...) and I was in the mood for some hearty beef stew.

The traditional beef stew (and the healthier option!) is to cut potatoes into one inch squares and add them into stew with the carrots. If you want to have this dish that way, just add the potatoes at the same time as the carrots and bump up the additional cooking time to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. I, however, prefer to enjoy the stew over potatoes mashed with loads of garlic, butter, and cheese. #newyear #butcontinuetopassthecheese.

On that note, I always keep a Costco sized cream cheese and sour cream in the fridge (especially during the holiday season!) because they tend to last for a while and are always good to have for dishes like this. Also, cream cheese + sour cream are the base for almost every dip, so I like having them around in case I need to quickly whip up a dip. Don't do this if you are trying to stick with healthy new years' resolutions because you'll quickly learn that there's never a bad time for a little sour cream in a dish, but I digress...

Finally, make sure you get a whole chuck roast and cut it yourself. At most stores they sell a "stew mix" which is actually just the scraps from whatever the butcher cut that day so you'll end up with a bunch of different cuts of meat that will cook at different times.

Without further adieu, your stew:

Beef Stew:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon granulated onion

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced

• 1 leek, sliced

• 4 celery stalks with leaves, sliced

• 14.5 ounces beef stock

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon A.1. Original Steak Sauce

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

• 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

• 1 10oz package of frozen peas

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Combine, flour, salt, pepper, granulated onion and garlic powder in bowl; dredge beef cubes in flour mixture. In Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium high heat. Add half of beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove beef from heat and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining 1/4 cup oil and beef.

2. Cook onions, leeks, and celery in Dutch oven until softened. Add beef stock, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, A1 sauce, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and parsley and bring to a boil. Add beef, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until beef is tender, approximately 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

3. Stir in carrots, until carrots are tender, approximately 15 minutes.

4. Stir in peas and cook for an additional two minutes.

5. Discard bay leaves. Serve immediately, topped with chopped, fresh parsley.

Garlic Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch squares

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cream cheese

• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

• 3 tablespoons granulated onion

• 3 tablespoons dried parsley

• Milk or cream, to taste

• Salt, to taste

• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil potatoes until tender.

2. Mash cooked potatoes together with butter, sour cream, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, granulated onion, dried parley, salt, and pepper. Use a zester to shave garlic cloves over mixture. In a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer!) whip at medium speed until smooth.

3. Add cream or milk to adjust the consistency (I've used skim milk, whole milk, half & half and heavy cream, it's whatever you have in the fridge!)

#beef #dinner #potatoes #heartymeals #winter