Because, you know, I want all my friends to eat well.
Now, before I begin, bear in mind that fresh vegetables are always best, blah blah blah.
That said, this recipe ought to cost less than $8, if you buy the cheap stuff in cans - and it sure tastes awfully good, so, who's super-picky, hmmm?
Ingredients:
3 cans Beef broth
2 cans Kidney Beans (or Chili Beans, which are the same but with spices.)
1 can Butter Beans, drained.
1 can Green Beans, drained.
1 can "Mixed Vegetables" - use Del Monte, the off brands skimp on the carrots - drained.
1 can diced Potatoes, drained.
2 packages of Onion Soup mix - Lipton is best, but it's kinda hard to screw up powdered onion soup.
1 16-oz. tub of Sour Cream. (I use Breakstone Dairy, but it's up to you. DO NOT use the low-fat stuff; the fat is 90% of what you need from this.)
1 1/2 - 2 pounds of Top Round or Chuck, cubed for stew - 1/2 to 1" cubes.
Toss it allllll into a crock-pot, except the sour cream. Set it on high, and leave it until the meat is nicely browned, stirring occasionally.
When the meat is nicely browned, add the sour cream, stirring until it dissolves completely; reduce heat to Low. Leave until stew thickens slightly.
If you like your stew thicker, there are three ways you can do so easily:
1. Flour. Mix your desired amount of flour in a jar with some water and shake it thoroughly before adding to the stew; this prevents lumps. Flour can detract from the flavor, though, so some people prefer
2. Corn Starch. Treated the same way as the flour, it will thicken the stew nicely without changing the flavor.
3. Potato Flakes. This adds a nice robustness to the stew, thickening while adding heartiness; however, it's easy to go overboard with potato flakes. Stir them in a little at a time, giving the stew time to thicken between each addition, until it reaches your desired thickness.
This allows you to control the "weight" if you will, of the stew.
All told, this makes enough for a pretty good number of people, or for two people to have left-overs for a couple of nights. The sour cream mellows the onion flavor, leaving it a strong, bold beefy & onion flavor without overpowering you. Plus, it requires little attention once the crock-pot is going, so you can start it before the Steelers game and eat it after, stirring and adding during the commercials.
