Bonus Meals

I love love LOVE comfort food! And I love love LOVE my crock pot (I get lazy sometimes..and by sometimes, I mean all the time).  It may be the middle of summer, but I wanted comfort food. This beef stew recipe was the perfect choice..1.) it's comfort food, 2.) I can make a bonus meal out of it, and 3.) it has dumplings.  I'm the carb queen!

The recipe is so super simple.  Next time you shop, grab double the ingredients and make two meals out of it.  This is also a great recipe for beginner freezer cookers, because you can put all of these ingredients (sans the dumplings) into a gallon freezer bag and just dump it in the pot the day you are ready to eat.  Easy-peasy.
I've adapted the recipe from http://www.amazingsouprecipes.com.  I planned on making a bonus meal out of this recipe, so I bulked up on the veg to stretch it a bit more as well.  In the end, my hub & and I each had seconds for dinner, plus each had a serving for lunch the next day.  AND I made two pot pies..from one recipe!

Beef Stew with Dumplings
{makes 6-8 servings}
2lbs stew beef, cut in chunks
4 ribs celery, cut into chunks
4 carrots, cut into chunks (those mini carrots work great...no cutting--remember I'm lazy)
2 onions, sliced
shrooms, if you like 'em
1 tsp black pepper (now, this is a lot, but I really enjoy the depth it gives, but you could cut it back to 1/2 or                                even 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp ground mustard
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3/4 c red wine (or be boring and use beef broth)
6 oz can tomato sauce
1 beef bullion cube
salt to taste

to thicken later:
1/4 c water
1/4 c flour

dumplings:
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c bisquick mix
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp oregano

Instructions:
1. Sear the beef on all sides and remove from pan. (I skipped this step..it's lazy I am.)
2.  Add beef, veggies, spices, wine, tomato sauce & bullion into crock pot (or gallon bag).
3. Cook it on low for 8-10 hours
4. Combine water & flour; add to stew.
5. Combine dumpling ingredients; drop by spoonful into stew.  Cover and turn on high for 30 minutes.

ENJOY! I sure did...

(beer is a comfort food too, yes?)

Bonus Recipe:

Beef Pot Pies

Before I added the dumplings, I scooped out stew and ladled it into 2 disposable tins.  I had pastry dough in my freezer that I had taken out the night before.  I covered the two tins (once completely cool) with the dough and wrapped them up tightly & labeled them and added them to my freezer.  Angela & I will be in Florida for about 2 weeks and our husbands can just stick the pot pies in the oven (that's about as fancy as they get in the kitchen).

Do you still crave comfort food in the summer?

Stay full!