This recipe offers a bit of a twist on a favorite comfort food. Slow cooking is the perfect method to get that fall-apart, tender beef and decadent gravy. The one disadvantage is that often the gravy doesn’t turn out as thick as you’d like, but this recipe has an easy fix for that and throws in creole seasoning for extra flavor.

Slow Cooker Creole Beef Stew is guaranteed to stick to your ribs. (Stacey Little / Southern Bite)

Slow Cooker Creole Beef Stew

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Prep time: 20 minutes

Slow cook time: 7 hours

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 ribs celery, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
• 4 cups unsalted beef broth
• 4 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Brown Gravy Mix (or two 0.87-ounce packets)

Instructions

• Place the beef in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the Creole seasoning. Toss to coat.
  

  Creole seasoning adds a hearty boost of flavor without adding a ton of heat. (Stacey Little / Southern Bite)

• Sprinkle the flour over the meat and toss to coat.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
• Once hot, add about half the beef and brown.
• Once brown, remove to a plate and brown the other half of the beef. Set aside.
• Lightly spray the crock of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add the potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Top with the beef.
• Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and bell pepper.
• Pour the tomatoes over the top.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth and gravy mix.
• Pour over the vegetables.
• Place the lid on and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

 Notes

If at the end of the cooking time you find the gravy to be too thin, simply mix together 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of cool water in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture (it’s called a slurry) into the stew. Cover and turn the heat on high until the gravy has thickened.

This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out ”The Southern Bite Cookbook.”