Slow Cooker Herb Simmered Beef Stew

Place the vegetables in the bottom of a large crockpot, followed by the beef. Sprinkle the black pepper, garlic, marjoram, rosemary and thyme over the beef. Add in the bay leaf. Combine the tomato paste with the beef stock in a bowl then pour over the beef cubes. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

At roughly 30 minutes prior to serving, make the roux in a small bowl by combining 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and stirring until smooth. Spoon about 3/4 cup of liquid from the stew into the roux and stir to combine. Then pour the roux back into the crockpot and continue to cook on low for 30 minutes or until thickened to your liking.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.

Tip: If you have a slow cooker with a removable crock, place the vegetables, spices, tomato paste and beef stock in the night before and store it in the fridge. In the morning, add the beef, set the temperature to low, and start your busy day knowing you’ll have a great meal waiting for you come dinner time.