A hearty beef stew cooked in a burgundy sauce with onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms. This slow cooker stew is topped with herb dumpling dough during the last part of cooking. The herb dumplings plump up in the slow cooker. An easy meal with easy prep.
I brown the beef in a skillet before putting it in the slow cooker. I season the beef with salt/pepper or steak seasoning then brown in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray. When putting the browned beef in the slow cooker, I pour any drippings in as well. I put the carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms (I use fresh sliced mushrooms) in first. Then I place the browned meat on top, pouring the canned tomatoes on top. I mix the beef broth and seasonings together in a bowl then I pour that on top. I like having the bed of vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker; it keeps the meat from drying out.