If you’re looking for more perfect-for-fall recipes, I’ve got one for you right here. I originally found this on a recipe card from Taste of Home magazine, but modified it for the size of my slow cooker (2.5 qt.) and specific veggie preferences (the original called for mushrooms – ew). We tried this out last night, and it was delicious! The apple cider and cinnamon give it a really nice flavor, and the long cook time makes the beef fall-apart tender. Plus it made the house smell AMAZING while it cooked. I’ve tried a few different beef stew recipes in my slow cooker, and this is by far the new favorite.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 16oz. frozen vegetables, thawed
- 1 can (8oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
- 2 envelopes brown gravy mix
- 2 Tbsp. onion soup mix
- 2 tsp. steak seasoning
- ⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 ½ c. beef broth
- 1 c. apple cider
- 1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- ⅓ c. cold water
With stews/soups, you don’t need to be too exact with measuring, these are just relative proportions to keep in mind.
Directions
- Place the veggies, water chestnuts, and minced onion in the slow cooker.
- In a large ziploc bag, combine the gravy mix, soup mix, steak seasoning and cinnamon. Add the beef a few pieces at a time, shake to coat, and add to the slow cooker.
- Combine the broth, cider and tomato sauce. Pour over beef. Add bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until meat is tender.
- Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into stew. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes, or until thickened.
- Discard bay leaf. Serve and enjoy!
Are you a big stew/soup maker? What’s your favorite fall soup recipe?
