oven baked stew

via

Ingredients

• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 lbs lean beef stew meat cut into bite sized pieces.
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 6 boiling onions or regular onions cut into 2 inch chunks
• 6 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces (or baby carrots can be used)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large Ziploc bag combine onion soup mix, salt, paprika, and stew meat. Shake until well coated. Place seasoned meat in a covered baking dish.
3. Arrange potatoes, onions, and carrots on top of meat.
4. In a small bowl combine cream of celery and ketchup. Pour mixture over meat and vegetables (I know it sounds weird but it is good).
5. Cover and bake for 2 hours @ 325 degrees. Garnish with parsley if desired.
6. Slow Cooker Instructions: Prepare as directed above but cook in slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours or until potatoes are fork tender.

I got this recipe from over at The Girl Who Ate Everything. You can find her blog here, and this recipe here.

I was a little worried at first. I mean, ketchup, and cream of celery soup?! Let's just say, I definitely had my doubts, but I was pleased with how wonderful it tasted! I placed everything in my crock pot and let it go on low for just shy of 6 hours. I also left out the onions, but that's just a personal preference. The hubs and I don't like soupy stuff so we drained the liquid from the pot (there was maybe a cup and a half, not much) and are saving it to make gravy with. It freezes quite nicely.

I'm not quite ready for tomorrow. Or Christmas day. In all honesty, I wish it were next year, past the holidays. By that point there won't be any food get-togethers and all I'll be worried about is taking things one day at a time. My friend Kay sent me home today with a huge tupperware container and ziplock baggie full of her homemade cookies. Ohmigod they are so good. And as much as I would love to sit down to a movie with them, I'm making my husband take them to work Wednesday. Either that or take them to my sister's house Christmas day. They'll probably be gone before I leave! I just don't want them in the house. If they are here, I'll eat them. They're like pringles, you can't have just one! :)

I need to go so I can finish getting the house ready for tomorrow, but I hope you all try this recipe and enjoy it as much as my husband and I did!