Four Hour Stew

This beef stew is about as hands-off as cooking gets. Dump everything into a greased casserole dish, cover it, and walk away for four hours. No browning the meat, no sauteing vegetables, no building a roux. The low oven does all the work while you do something else with your afternoon.

Minute tapioca is the secret thickener here instead of flour or cornstarch. It dissolves completely during that long, slow bake and creates a glossy, clingy gravy that coats every piece of beef and carrot. No lumps, no floury taste, no need to stir.

Cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix handle the seasoning, so you’re getting layers of umami without having to stock a spice rack. The soup mix also adds another hit of onion flavor on top of the sliced fresh onion that breaks down into the gravy.

Kitchen Tips

• Use actual stewing beef (chuck), not lean cuts. The fat and connective tissue melt during the 4 hours and create that fall-apart tenderness. Lean beef dries out.
• Keep the lid on tight the entire time. Lifting it lets steam escape and adds cooking time. If your lid doesn’t seal well, cover with foil first, then the lid.
• Cut carrots and celery into thick chunks. Thin slices will dissolve into mush over 4 hours.
• The stew tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld in the fridge overnight.

Variations

• Add cubed potatoes in the last 2 hours of cooking so they hold their shape instead of falling apart.
• Swap cream of mushroom for cream of celery soup for a different flavor base.
• Stir in frozen peas during the last 15 minutes for color and a pop of sweetness.