Kansas City Winter Beef Stew Recipe

When Kansas City’s winter ice and cold trap you inside, try a delicious (and healthy!) spin on an old favorite: beef stew! This is a stew variation your family will love. The sweet potatoes add wonderful nutrition, flavor and color to the dish. The apple cider and dried cranberries add a sweet flair to this savory stew, creating a unique taste treat. The recipe is quick to fix and calls for ingredients that you might just have on hand. Or, if you forgot to go to the grocery store before the storm hit, just like our page and we’ll keep the recipe handy for another time. Enjoy that cereal for dinner! Truly versatile, you can cook this stew on the stove top or in your slow cooker. Either way, Beef and Cider Stew is destined to become a family favorite—maybe even a Kansas City winter storm tradition!

Beef & Cider Stew     Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces (chuck roast works really well)

2 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

½ teaspoon pepper

10 ½ oz. can condensed French onion soup

1 cup apple cider

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions for stove top cooking method:

• Cook bacon in stockpot over medium heat until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper-towel-lined plate. Brown ½ of beef in bacon drippings over medium heat; remove from stockpot.  Repeat with remaining beef; season with pepper.
• Return beef and bacon to stockpot and add soup and cider; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1 ¾ hours.
• Add sweet potatoes and cranberries to stockpot; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; continue simmering, covered, 20 to 30 minute or until beef and potatoes are fork-tender.

Directions for Slow Cooker method:

• Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper-towel-lined plate. Brown ½ of beef in bacon drippings over medium heat; remove from skillet.  Repeat with remaining beef; season with pepper.
• Place beef and bacon in slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients.
• Cook in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 290 calories, 29 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 8 g fat, 567 mg sodium, 24 g protein, excellent source of B6, B12, selenium, zinc, niacin and iron.

Source:  Beefitswhatsfordinner.com