Now that the autumn days are getting shorter, it’s so lovely to come home and snuggle up on a sofa with a soft blanket and hot comfort food. And one of my perfect comfort foods is a beef stew, which is made in a slow cooker over a long period of time.

Using slow cooker means that I can get everything ready in the morning and have dinner ready in the evening without a lifting a finger (well, sort off!).

I like to serve this stew with mashed potatoes and extra fresh vegetables, such as steamed broccoli or asparagus or garden peas. But if you don’t have the time to get any side dishes ready, it’s delicious with just a freshly baked homemade bread.

If you don’t have a slow cooker you can make this stew on a hob or in an oven in a casserole dish, but the whole point of using a slow cooker is that you don’t need to constantly steer it or check it.

MORE COMFORTING FOOD RECIPES

Ingredients

1 kg beef (braising or casserole meat)

1 onion – chopped

2 celery sticks chopped

2 tbsp sunflower oil

3 carrots, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 cloves of garlic

2 beef stock cubes

600 ml water

How to make beef stew in a slow cooker

First of all chopp the onion and celery and then fry with some sunflower oil (or use butter for extra flavour).

Add the carrots and cook until everything starts to soften – about 5-7 minutes.

Add the soften carrots, onions and celery to the slow cooker, mix in the water and then the two stock cubes.

Cut the beef in smaller pieces and brown on a medium high heat (and some more sunflower oil) to seal the juices in. You’ll need to do this in batches to ensure that the frying pan is hot for each batch of the beef.

Once all the meat is in, set the slow cooker on high for 4 hrs or on low for 8 hrs (this depends if you are making the stew in the morning for the evening meal or in the afternoon).

Serve with your choice of side dish – mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables or just crusty bread.

MORE EASY RECIPES

My favourite ways to serve homemade beef stew with

When I make homemade beef stew, I love serving it with something that soaks up all that rich gravy. A warm crusty bread or a buttery dinner roll is always my go-to — perfect for dipping.

Sometimes I’ll make mashed potatoes or even creamy polenta to spoon the stew over, which makes it extra comforting. If I want to lighten things up a bit, I’ll roast some veggies like carrots or green beans on the side.

How to store homemade beef stew

After I make a big pot of homemade beef stew, I always let it cool down a bit before storing it. Once it’s no longer steaming, I scoop it into airtight containers — usually in smaller portions so it’s easier to reheat later. Then I pop it in the fridge if I plan to eat it within the next few days (it stays good for about 3–4 days), or into the freezer if I want to save it for longer — up to a few months works great.

I make sure to label the containers with the date, so I don’t forget how long they’ve been in there. When I’m ready to eat, I just reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave until it’s piping hot again.