Comfort food recipes
Hearty, soul-warming comfort food recipes featuring tender beef stew and creamy mac and cheese that deliver restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen.
Equipment
- 1 Immersion Blender For creating ultra-smooth cheese sauce if desired
- 1 Kitchen Scale For more precise measurements, especially flour and cheese
- 1 Instant-Read Thermometer Instant-Read Thermometer
- 1 Oven-Safe Baking Dish If finishing mac and cheese with breadcrumb topping in oven
- 1 Large Colander For draining pasta efficiently
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Beef chuck roast Cut into 2-inch cubes, well-marbled for tenderness
- 3 large Carrots Peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 medium Potatoes Yukon Gold preferred, diced
- 1 large Yellow onion Sweet onions work as a substitute.
- 3 cloves Fresh garlic Minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups Beef broth Low-sodium preferred
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste Adds umami depth
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour For thickening
- 2-3 sprigs Fresh thyme Or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp Olive oil For searing
- To taste Salt and black pepper Season generously
Instructions
- Prep and Sear (10 minutes): Pat beef completely dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat until smoking. Add olive oil and sear beef cubes in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Don't overcrowd the pan.
- Build Aromatics (6 minutes): Remove seared beef and set aside. In the same pot, add diced onions and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add Tomato Paste (2 minutes): Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. This caramelizes the paste and eliminates any metallic taste.
- Create Roux (3 minutes): Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and create a light roux.
- Deglaze and Simmer (5 minutes): Gradually add beef broth while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Slow Cook (45 minutes): Return seared beef to the pot along with fresh herb sprigs. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Vegetables (15 minutes): Add carrots and potatoes to the pot. Continue cooking covered for another 15 minutes until vegetables are fork-tender and beef is falling apart.
- Final Seasoning (2 minutes): Remove herb sprigs and taste for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. The stew should be well-seasoned and flavorful.
- Rest and Serve (5 minutes): Let the stew rest off heat for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld and consistency to thicken slightly before serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tips: This stew actually improves in flavor overnight. Cool completely before refrigerating for up to 4 days or freezing for up to 3 months.
Substitutions:
- Beef can be replaced with lamb shoulder, chicken thighs, or plant-based protein
- Use gluten-free flour blend for celiac-friendly version
- Substitute root vegetables like parsnips or turnips for potatoes