Alita's Tomato Beef Stew

Alita tweaked this rich, tomato-based beef stew over the years from her original recipe, which was much less red and contained less vegetables. We're always a little regretful when the pot is empty. Teenagers can wolf it down pretty fast!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 485 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
• 5 teaspoons minced garlic, or to taste
• 3 cups 3/4-inch carrot chunks
• 3 cups 3/4-inch potato chunks
• 2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a resealable bag; add stew meat and shake until meat is coated.

Step 2

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add coated meat and loose flour from the bag to the hot oil; cook and stir until browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3

Mix tomatoes, onions, tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, paprika, sugar, and bay leaves into stew meat mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer stew, scraping bottom of Dutch oven every 30 minutes, about 1 hour.

Step 4

Stir carrots into stew and cook for 30 minutes more. Add potatoes to stew and cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add mushrooms to stew and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.