Slow-Cooked Hearty Beef Stew
After a long workday, coming home to a pot of stew that has been simmering for hours is the ultimate comfort. With freezer-friendly vegetable packs prepped in advance using your Geedel vegetable chopper, you can enjoy this seasonal autumn-winter treat with just 5 minutes of hands-on time after work. Paired with crusty bread or flaky pie crust, it soothes the soul in an instant.
Ingredients (serves 4):
Frozen veggie pack: 2 onions, 4 carrots, 3 potatoes (pre-prepped)
Stew meat: 600g beef brisket (cubed), 3 tbsp tomato paste, 500ml beef broth, 1 cup red wine (optional)
Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp dried thyme, salt and black pepper
Thickening: 2 tbsp flour
To serve: crusty bread or ready-made pie crust
Weekend Prep Steps:
1. Batch-prep vegetables (using Geedel chopper):
Wash, peel, and roughly chop onions, carrots, and potatoes. Fit the dicing blade into your Geedel food chopper. Add carrot chunks to the container and press steadily 5–6 times to get uniform 2cm pieces. Repeat with potatoes and onions. This manual chopper handles large volumes efficiently.
2. Portion and freeze:
Divide chopped vegetables into freezer bags (about 3 cups per bag). Remove air, seal, and label with date and contents. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Weekday Cooking Steps:
1. Quick prep (5:00 PM):
Take a veggie pack from the freezer (no need to thaw). Pat beef dry with paper towel, season with salt, pepper, and toss with flour.
2. Assemble the slow cooker (5 minutes):
Place frozen veggies at the bottom of the slow cooker, top with beef cubes. Add tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Pour in beef broth and red wine (if using). Cook on Low for 6–8 hours or High for 3–4 hours.
3. Serving option 1 (7:00 PM):
Discard bay leaves. Season stew to taste. Serve with warmed crusty bread for dipping.
4. Serving option 2 (pie version):
Preheat oven to 200°C. Transfer stew to an ovenproof dish, cover with ready-made pie crust, brush with egg wash. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden and puffed.
Summary:
This versatile beef stew uses the Geedel vegetable chopper for efficient batch prep. With pre-frozen veggie packs, weekday cooking time is reduced to just 5 minutes—a perfect dinner solution for busy evenings.
