Beef/ Vegetable Stew in Bread Bowls

I have been making this stew for years. I have never followed a recipe and tend to just use what I have around the house.  My husband loves this stew, but I thought he was just being polite all these years. It's JUST Stew. What is the big fuss? But he swears it is the BEST stew out there..and thought I should share the recipe.

ok, but this is going to be hard? I don't  measure anything and I add a bit of this, a bit of that...etc...

Not a huge fan of this picture, it isn't normally "  muddy" looking like that?

Beef/Vegetable Stew  in bread bowls.   this serves my family of 4 with lots of yummy leftovers. It tastes even better when heated up again.

1. Make your bread dough in your bread machine...hit START!

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp oil
1.5 lbs stewing beef
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced.
3 large carrots
1 cup of quartered mushrooms or while mini button mushrooms
1 bottle of dry red wine
2 cans of diced tomatoes in their liquid
1 cup flour, seasoned with all the herbs you like! 
salt and pepper.
 ( any left over vegetables in the fridge)




2. Add 2 Tbsp of oil in the bottom of a good pot.  This is mine. It is used all the time. A good investment.

Place chopped onion in hot oil and cook, until softened, set aside.

Put seasoned flour in a plastic bag. ( I am all over the map with this one. I think I add a good tsp of salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp basil,  2 tsp cayenne, 2 tsp garlic powder, anything you like!   You can't go wrong, just don't add something weird like Lavender  or cloves!

Toss your bite sized beef in the seasoned flour until coated. Add to HOT oil and sear the outsides of the meat, but don't cook through. You may need to do this in batches.

 Return onions to pot, then add 2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juice. You want to completely cover the meat and have it slowly simmer all day in a liquid. Never let it dry out, keep it on a low, but bubbling heat for as long as you have. Minimum 2 hrs. This is not a quick, after work type of meal, but the leftovers are!

At this point your bread machine is beeping. The dough is ready. Let sit to rise until you have the time to roll it out.

Divide into balls ( depends on how much dough you made) 

Roll into rounds. Put small bowls upside down on a cookie sheet.  Spray with Pam. Place dough on top to shape the " bowl". Bake at 375C until lightly brown. Again, I am SO bad with time...just watch it!  Maybe 20 minutes? or less?

Keep adding wine to keep the stew covered. Cover the pot and let simmer for an hour or two. Have a glass of wine, while admiring your stew and bread bowls baking.... stir occasionally as you check on it for liquid. Meat should  be covered.

Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and any other chopped  ( stew type) vegetable you have  ( I have added zucchini  , peppers as well) 1 hr before you want to eat it. Add more wine to make sure everything is covered in liquid.

Serve when potatoes are starting to fall apart...

In those cute little bread bowls you made!

Enjoy!