A hearty and warming Slow Cooker Beef Casserole with lots of chunky vegetables. Perfect for those cold winter nights, this slow cooker beef stew is super tender and the meat just falls apart. It freezes really well too, so perfect for batch cooking.
Slow Cooker Beef Casserole
If you are looking to use your slow cooker more, then this is the recipe that is going to convince you to do that. A super easy and comforting beef stew that the whole family will love. It’s easy to adapt to include vegetables that you know your family are going to eat too. When life gets busy, stick this meal in the slow cooker.
Why should you try it?
✔ Just 360 calories a serving
✔ Lots of hidden vegetables
✔ A warming and hearty meal
✔ Freezes well, so it is great for batch cooking
What Meat To Use?
The great thing about cooking a beef stew in a slow cooker is that you don’t have to use expensive cuts of beef. You can go for the cheaper cuts like braising steak, because cooking it low and slow makes it really tender. I wouldn’t use anything too lean, as it tends to dry out.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make a Slow Cooker Beef Stew?
Do You Have To Sear The Meat First?
You don’t have to, but I really don’t think it is a step that should be skipped. It really does lock in all the flavour. Make sure you sear it on all sides and that there is plenty of room in the pan, so it browns rather than steams – you might need to do it in batches.
What Vegetables Can You Add?
Really chunky root vegetables like carrot, parsnip and swede work well. You could also add some chunks of potato and then you don’t need to serve it with anything.
Flavour adding vegetables like onion, shallots, leek, celery are nice too and then you can add some colour by adding some peas, spinach, kale or green beans about 30 minutes before it is finished cooking.
How Long Do You Cook a Beef Casserole For?
Slow and low is the key here, so we cook it on low for 7 hours. You could cook it on high for 4 hours instead though. You want the meat to be tender, but not falling apart so much that it’s like shredded beef. If you like shredded beef, then why not try our Slow Cooker Pulled Beef recipe.
How To Thicken The Gravy
The thickness of a stew/casserole really is a personal thing. This isn’t really thin, but it isn’t a really thick gravy either. If you want to thicken it, then make a slurry and then add it to the slow cooker.
Not sure what a slurry is? Take some cornflour and a little cold water and mix together until a fairly thick paste (1 tbsp cornflour and 2 tbsp water. Then stir that in to the slow cooker about 30 minutes before serving to thicken the stew up.
What To Serve Slow Cooker Beef Casserole With
I think mashed potato goes perfectly with a beef stew, as they are both so comforting. We love this root vegetable mash, as it adds some extra goodness.
You could serve it with rice or cous cous or even on a baked potato. Sometimes we like to have some warmed crusty bread and then use it to scoop everything out and then mop up all the juices left behind.
How To Store and Reheat Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Make sure the beef stew cools completely and then put in an air tight container. It will then keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also keep it in the freeze for up to 4 months.
To reheat, make sure it is defrosted thoroughly if you have frozen it, and then heat through on the hob/stove or microwave.
Extra Tips:
- You don’t have to sear the meat first, however it really does make a difference to the finished dish as it seals all the flavour in.
- Root vegetables work really well in this stew, however you can give it a green boost by adding some leafy greens about 30 minutes before the stew is ready.
- You don’t have to serve this stew with anything. You could add some potatoes to the stew and cook it all together.
- Thicken the dish by adding a cornflour slurry
How To Make Slow Cooker Beef Casserole – step by step:
Want to try some other beef recipes? How about these:
Mexican Beef and Potato Bake
Slow Cooker Beef Curry
Hidden Vegetable Beef Burgers
Thai Beef Salad
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef
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DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓
Slow Cooker Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 500 g braising steak cubed
- 1 large onion cut into chunks
- 1 large leek sliced
- 10 mushrooms quartered
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 250 ml red wine (if you don't want to use wine, then add more stock)
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 4 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Add some oil to a hot pan and add the beef and brown gently for 2 of minutes.
- Add to the slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 6 hours.
Platter Talk says
It’s a little chilly here today and I found this recipe of yours. Sounds like a perfect meal for tonight! Thanks.
Krista Dier says
In my crock pot as I write :)
Sara says
Beef casserole = yum!
Sheila says
This sounds so good. I made your slow cooked pulled pork the other day – that was amazing!
Alice says
The mash sounds really good. I am a veggie, so I would have to make a veggie casserole to go with it. I think this is going to be Sunday lunch!
Tammy says
It is freezing here today. I wish I had this in my slow cooker.
Moreen says
This looks lovely and something my husband would like too. He is very fussy.
Anna says
Casseroles are one of my favourite things about winter. I will definitely be using the wine in this, I love booze in food ;)