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Last Updated on September 14, 2019

Meat and potato stew is a classic meal for a good reason. There’s nothing quite so hearty and satisfying. It’s especially amazing on chilly days or for a Sunday dinner. Stomachs will be growling in anticipation with the smell of simmering beef and potatoes.

Even though this meal takes a bit of time to make, fortunately, it’s not a lot of hands-on work. You can just fix it and forget it. Served with crusty French bread or some rolls, you have all the makings of a meal everyone will love.

Beef Stew with Potatoes

Beef stew with potatoes is a dish that has a lot of history. Families have been making beef stew for centuries since it’s simple and delicious. Simmering the beef stew meat over a period of a couple of hours makes it tender.

Cooking the potatoes and carrots with the beef allows the vegetables to absorb the savory flavors of the meat. The juices that are left behind make perfect gravy. All of the seasonings in this recipe are appealing and taste great with the meat and vegetables.

If you want to make this recipe a bit richer and fancier, you can make a couple of changes to improve the dish. You can use a different cut of meat, such as a chuck roast or a large sirloin. You can also try adding some red wine or Worcestershire sauce for a more complex flavor. However you choose to make it, this recipe is sure to be a winner.

Slow Cooker Beef and Potatoes

Beef stew is the kind of recipe that’s practically designed for making in a slow cooker. You can also make it in a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot. Of course, these two cooking methods are the complete opposite, other than that both make the dish even easier.

If you choose to make slow cooker beef and potatoes, you can just throw the whole thing in the crockpot. You literally don’t have to do anything else once you put it in the slow cooker. The only thing you might have to do is if you decide to make a gravy out of the juices at the very end. Cook it on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Making the beef stew in an Instant Pot is also easy. You won’t have the long-simmering time that you would in the crockpot, but you can have a warm and comforting beef stew that’s ready in well under an hour. (And that’s counting the time it takes for your Instant Pot to come up to temperature and pressure.)

You’ll want to sear the meat first in your Instant Pot. If you sear the meat first before adding the vegetables, it will keep it from all getting mushy. To make this in the Instant Pot, of course, you need to add liquid so it will have enough moisture. Add 2 to 2.5 cups of beef broth to make this a perfect recipe for the Instant Pot.

This recipe is ideal for a family dinner. It’s perfect comfort food for chilly fall days or having the family over to watch football on a Sunday. It fits the stereotype of what every man loves: good old meat and potatoes. It sticks to your ribs and leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Served with French bread or rolls to sop up the gravy, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to food heaven. This classic needs to be in every cook’s repertoire, no matter how you decide to make it.

If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to check out our French Onion Soup Recipe and our Easy Potato Soup Recipe.