Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, quartered
• 1 lb baby carrots
• 1 white onion, diced
• 28 oz beef broth
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 2 cups frozen peas (optional)

Directions

1. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion to a 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Shake the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme together in a large zip-top bag. Add the stew meat and shake until every piece is coated.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides, working in batches so the pan stays hot. You are after color, not cooked-through meat.
4. Pour the beef broth into the hot skillet to deglaze it, whisking in the tomato paste and scraping up the browned bits. The sauce will thicken in a couple of minutes.
5. Add the beef and the sauce to the slow cooker and stir everything together.
6. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, until the beef and potatoes are fork tender.
7. Stir in the frozen peas, cover, and cook 15 more minutes. Thin with a splash of water if the stew got too thick, then taste and add salt and pepper.