"Make it up as you go along" Beef Stew

Special thanks to Becky for giving me some ideas!

This is an easy crock pot recipe, just prep the night before and let it cook in the crock pot all day.

-1 pound of stew meat
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1/4 c flour
-4 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 small or 1/2 large red onion, finely diced
-1 packet of pre-made beef stew seasoning
-1 tsp garlic salt
-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
-2 c water
-3 or 4 large carrots
-3 turnips
-2 large bay leaves
-1 large can of diced tomatoes
-3 or 4 celery stalks, chopped
-1 bottle of beer (the darker, the better)

Start by mixing together the flour, salt and pepper into a medium prep bowl. Toss the beef in the flour mix. Add the oil to a large, deep sautee pan and put over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat and onion to the pan and sear for at least 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and the beef is browned on all sides. Add the water, seasoning packet, garlic salt and cayenne pepper to the pan and let it come to a low boil for at least 5 minutes.

Prep the rest of the veggies by cutting them into large, manageable chunks. Add the veggies, can of tomatoes (with juice), beer and bay leaves to the crock pot. Slowly pour in the stew meat mixture. Mix well, set the crock pot to low heat and cook for at least 6 hours.

When I came home on Tuesday afternoon, my whole house smelled like beef stew...it was fantastic!