Six-Hour Stew

You put everything in the pot. You close the lid. You walk away for six hours. You come back to the most tender, fall-apart beef stew you’ve ever eaten.

That’s the whole deal.

Cubed chuck roast goes into a heavy roaster with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, canned tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix, and a few tablespoons of tapioca to thicken the gravy naturally.

The tight lid traps all the steam and moisture, turning everything impossibly tender while you go about your day.

The one rule: do not open that oven door. Not once. Trust the process.

Pro Tips

• Use a heavy roaster with a really tight-fitting lid. If it’s loose, seal it with foil underneath for a better steam trap
• The tapioca is the secret thickener here. It dissolves completely and gives the gravy a silky body without any flour or roux
• Cut your vegetables in big, chunky pieces so they hold up over the long cook time
• This is a weekend set-it-and-forget-it recipe. Start it in the morning and dinner handles itself