Beef Stew with Cheese and Herb Dumplings Crockpot Recipe

Beef Stew with Cheese and Herb Dumplings Crockpot Recipe



Ingredients needed for beef stew:

* 4 cups of chopped mixed root vegetables, such as carrots, celery root, parsnip or rutabaga, chopped
* 1 potato, such as Yukon gold, about 7 ounces, chopped
* 2 bay leaves, torn
* 1 tablespoon of dry thyme or dry parsley
* 1 3/4 pounds of beef chuck or other stewing beef, trimmed of fat and cut into large chunks
* 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon of dry mustard powder
* 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil, plus extra if needed
* 1 celery stick, thinly sliced
* 1 onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 3 1/2 cups of beef stock, plus extra if needed
* 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
* 4 tablespoons of corn starch (optional)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Chopped parsley leaves, to serve

Ingredients needed for Cheese and Herb Dumplings:

* 3/4 cup of dried bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup of self rising flour
* 4 tablespoons of cold butter, diced
* 1/2 cup of coarsely grated strong cheese, such as cheddar or Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon of finely snipped chives
* 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley leaves

Preparation steps for beef stew:

* Put the root vegetables, potato, bay leaves and thyme in the crockpot. Put the beef in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and mustard powder. Toss gently, making sure the beef is coated in the flour mixture. Shake off and reserve any excess mixture.
* Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the beef and fry 5 to 8 minutes until brown on all sides, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and adding extra oil, if necessary. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to the crockpot as it browns, then sprinkle the reserved flour mixture over.
* Pour off any excess fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the celery and onion and fry, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and fry 1 to 3 minutes longer until the onion is soft. Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan, then pour the mixture into the crockpot and season.
* Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours. Quickly add the dumplings (from recipe below), they will sink, but rise to the surface as they cook. For a slightly thicker stew, put the cornstarch in a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Stir the cornstarch paste into the cooking liquid, then re-cover the crockpot as quickly as possible and cook for 1 hour until the dumpling have risen and are cooked through. Discard the bay leaves and add more salt and pepper, if you desire.

Preparation steps for dumplings:

* Put the bread crumbs, flour and butter in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
* Transfer to a bowl, then add the cheese and herbs and combine the ingredients. Wet your hands, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.

Serve meal sprinkled with parsley and enjoy
(Serves 4)