Super Easy Beef Stew

Being that I am FREEZING this morning because of this awful, cold, snowy weather I thought that an easy recipe would be nice to share with all of you.

Nothing warms you from head to toe like a hearty beef stew. When I was first on my own and learning how to cook I didn't even think about making a stew because I thought it would be a lot more complicated than it actually is.

Here are the ingredients:

- 1 cup of beef broth
- ¼ cup of zesty Italian dressing
- ¼ cup of BBQ sauce
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 lb of stewing beef
- 1 lb of potatoes
- Carrots cut into 1 inch thickness
- 1 onion cut into chunks
- 4 slices of bacon (I use ready-crisp)

- 3 tbspFlour and water

The flour and water I don't usually use myself because I like my stew to be more like a soup rather than having a gravy texture to it.

All of the ingredients

Instructions:

Mix broth, dressing, barbecue sauce and oregano in slow cooker.

Add all remaining ingredients except flour and water; toss to coat. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours (or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours).

All the ingredients in a crock pot

If you want a gravy like stew: transfer meat and vegetables to serving bowl with slotted spoon; cover with foil. Set aside. Mix flour and water until well blended. Stir into juices in slow cooker; cover. Cook on HIGH for 15 min. or until sauce is slightly thickened. Spoon over meat and vegetables.

After it is all cooked serve in a bowl with a bun or a slice of bread. It is so simple to throw everything in the crock pot the night before and then just plug it in the next morning. If you happen to have any leftovers it freezes very well and can be easily taken out for a quick lunch. Plus, the really great news, it's under $11.00 for the whole meal and with lots of leftovers. If you already have some of the staple ingredients (Zesty Italian dressing, BBQ sauce, etc.) it won't add costs to your grocery bill and you can use them for future recipes.

Stewing beef (small package): $4.35

Can of beef broth: $0.99

Zesty Italian Dressing: $0.75 worth

BBQ Sauce: $0.30 worth

Potatoes: $0.97 worth

Carrots: $0.50 worth

Onion: $0.74

Ready-Crisp Bacon: $ 1.19 worth

Pack of 6 buns, only 2 used: $0.99

Total: $10.78