Budget & Cosy Slow-Cooked Beef Stew

This is the kind of meal that fills your home with warmth and makes everyone drift into the kitchen asking what’s cooking. Slow-cooked until the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender, paired with hearty vegetables and a rich, savoury broth that tastes like it’s been simmering all day.

It’s simple ingredients, slow patience, and big flavour in every spoonful. Best of all, it comes in at around $6 a serve, feeding the whole family without stretching the budget. Proof that comfort food doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated, or time-consuming to feel like a proper hug in a bowl.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 4 hours (high) or 8 hours (low)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced

• 3 large carrots, cut into rounds or half moons

• 12 baby potatoes, quartered

• 1kg lean beef, cut into 2cm cubes

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp pimento

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 1/4 tsp salt

• 4 cups beef broth

• 3 bay leaves

• 5 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 cups frozen green peas

• 3 tbsp cornflour

Method

Step 1. Add the onion, carrots, potatoes and beef directly into the slow cooker.

Step 2. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pimento, black pepper and salt. Toss everything together to evenly coat.

Step 3. Pour in the beef broth, then add the bay leaves and thyme.

Step 4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until the beef is tender.

Step 5. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with a few tablespoons of cold water to form a smooth slurry. Stir it into the stew, cover, and cook for a further 10–15 minutes until thickened.

Step 6. Stir through the frozen peas and cook for a final 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Step 7. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Serve warm with crusty bread, over rice, or enjoy as is.

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