Slow-Cooker Beef Stew With Dumplings

When the nights become cold and the air is heavy with smoke from the chimneys, our thoughts turn to hardy meals that bring comfort on a chilly night. Nothing is so comforting as a good beef stew. This stew is made even better with dumplings.

I adore dumplings. Hubby on the other hand isn’t wild about them. I think that may be due to his not being a fan of boiled chicken or a chicken stew. Chicken and dumplings were a big part of my childhood. Stews were a big part of Hubby’s childhood. This wonderful stew brings both together in a delicious, filling and oh so satisfying way.

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew With Dumplings
Beef Stew
1/2 cup Flour
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 lbs Chuck Stew Meat

Place the flour, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Trim stew meat into 2-inch cubes. Add the meat to the seasoned flour, seal the bag, and shake well to coat in the flour. Add the entire contents of the bag including the seasoned flour to the crock pot. Set aside.

Vegetables and Stock
3 Gold Potatoes, medium
1 stalk Celery, sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 large Yellow Onion
1/2 lb Carrots, coin-cut
1 Bay Leaf, fresh or dried
2 cups Beef Stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet Browning Sauce
1/4 cup Butter

Scrub and dice the potatoes into small chunks. Set aside. Rinse and slice celery. Set aside. Mince garlic and dice the onion. Set aside.

Add the potatoes, celery and onion to the pot with the meat. Toss lightly to blend.

In a large measuring cup, combine the beef stock, Worcestershire Sauce, paprika and Kitchen Bouquet and the minced garlic. Whisk to blend. Pour the stock over the meat and vegetable mixture. Gently stir to blend everything together. Place a bay leaf on top.

 

Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW heat for about an hour. Once everything is bubbling hot, add the butter and let it melt into the stew broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with more salt and pepper if needed. Continue to cook on LOW for 6 hours or until the beef is tender. Remove the bay leaf.

Turn the crock pot to high while you prepare the dumpling batter.

Dumplings
1 1/4 cup Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
2/3 cup Milk
1 Egg

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and seasonings into a mixing bowl. Pour milk over the dried ingredients. Lightly beat the egg, add to the mixing bowl. Using a fork, gently blend until a sticky dough forms.

Drop the dumplings by spoonfuls onto the simmering stew. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour or until the dumplings are cooked.

To Serve: Divide dumplings into serving bowls. Ladle stew next to the dumplings. Drizzle a little stew broth over the dumplings, serve and enjoy.