Dee's Beef Stew

My oldest and very handsome grandson, Michael, (I still call him Mikey) is a big fan of his mom's beef stew and it's no wonder why.....I've tasted my daughter Denise's stew and it really does taste better than mine. She makes it, the same old fashioned way, that her grandmother (my mom) made it. Simmered slow and low on a gas stove.

My mother-in-law, however, used a pressure cooker to make stew. I was amazed how it cut the cooking time down. She gave us one as a Christmas gift in 1970 and I've been using it ever since (especially for stew and pot roast.) My stew takes about 20 minutes to cook versus 4 hours and it's really very good but there's no contest. I have to say that there is nothing like the taste of slow cooked beef stew. Dee wins this one hands down.

Dee's Beef Stew

• 1.5- 2 lbs. stew meat
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  
• 10-12 small red potatoes,quartered
• 1 lb baby carrots
• 1 bag frozen peas
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 package brown gravy mix
• 1-16 oz large can of tomato sauce

In quart size ziploc bag place 1/2 cup of flour, sea salt and pepper.

Add meat to bag and shake bag until well coated in flour.

In large sauce pot get 1/2 stick of margarine very hot, then place meat in and brown on all sides.

Add a little garlic powder to meat.

Once meat is brown on all sides add onion, tomato sauce, 1 cup of water and the beef broth.

Bring to boil and simmer for 1 hour, keep covered and stir occasionally.

After 1 hour add potatoes and carrots. Cook on low, partially covered for an additional 2-3 hours (until potatoes and carrots are tender).

Once potatoes and carrots are tender add 1 bag of frozen peas and the packet of brown gravy (mixed with 1 cup of water). Cook an additional 1/2 hour.

**Serve with biscuits or Italian bread. Serves 6.

**Left over stew? Pour into a casserole dish and cover with crescent roll dough. Bake at 375 degrees until the crescent dough is golden brown. Viola!!! Beef Pot Pie!