Once Christmas is over, I’m a bit over the cold weather. I grew up in Chicago and attended college in New York, so I am no stranger to snow and really cold winters. But living in the Pacific Northwest, we like to keep our snow in the mountains with milder temperatures in the Seattle suburbs where we live. The past few years, we have had some really cold weather in January and February. Last year we had two back-to-back snowstorms that cancelled school for two weeks! Based on the recent weather forecast, I’m bracing myself for some snow, which basically shuts everything down. You better believe that I’ll be staying cozy inside with this instant pot beef stew!
I’m really looking forward to the next three weeks. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ll be taking a blogging vacation for the rest of January. I planned that for a few reasons. First, it was a really busy second half of the year keeping up with my regular blog posting schedule of three new recipes a week, writing an Ebook, being a stay at home mom to my three kids ages 5 and under, and training for an ultramarathon. Second, it has been really hard to photograph recipes with the shortened daylight hours! Last year during this time I was on a little maternity leave from blogging after Juliette was born, and the year before that I was so new to blogging that I didn’t realize the winter light was a problem. Since my top priority is being with my kids, my food photography is limited to the afternoons while they nap, and unfortunately my window for shooting is very small.
For those reasons, I planned this break after the holidays, and I’m very excited to spend a few weeks recharging before bringing some delicious new content in February. I’ve brainstormed some great recipes that I can’t wait to test, but for the next few weeks my plan is cook recipes from other bloggers and break into my massive cookbook collection during my meal planning. I also want to revisit old favorites from the blog, and you better believe that this instant pot beef stew will be on repeat!
Whether you’re enduring frigid temperatures and snow, or just looking for a cozy and easy meal, this instant pot beef stew is here for you!
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lb. beef stew meat (or a 2 lb. chuck roast, cubed)
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. ground dried thyme
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Set your instant pot to sauté and heat olive oil. Add beef stew meat and brown.
- Add flour and stir to combine.
- Add potatoes, carrots, onion, salt, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and beef broth.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and set to high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Manually release. Stir in peas and cook until thawed.
- Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
- Slow cooker instructions: heat the olive oil in a large pot on the stove. Add beef stew meat and cook until browned. Add flour and stir to combine. Transfer meat to the slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, salt, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and beef broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until vegetables are tender. Add peas and cook for an additional 10 minutes until thawed. Enjoy!
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