Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

This rich, deeply flavored beef stew with sweet potatoes, red wine, and cremini mushrooms is a crowd pleaser. Serve it over rice to absorb the delicious sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 8

3⁄4 cup brown rice flour

11⁄2 teaspoons salt, divided

11⁄2 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided

11⁄4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1" chunks

1⁄4 cup olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cups peeled and diced carrots

3⁄4 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1⁄2 cup dry red wine

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups Beef Broth (see recipe in this chapter)

1 dried bay leaf

11⁄2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add beef and close the bag. Shake lightly, making sure that all the beef is coated in flour and seasoning. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook beef in small batches until browned on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Add beef to a greased 4–6-quart slow cooker.
3. In the same skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste and heat through. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping the stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan. Add cooked vegetable mixture on top of beef in slow cooker.
6. Add sweet potatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
7. Before serving, remove bay leaf and add sugar and remaining salt and pepper.