Slow Cooker Beef Stew

There are so many beef stew recipes out there but I like to stick to the basics when it comes to an old fashioned hit like this.
While this is a slow cooker recipe, I do take the time to brown the meat and sweat the onions prior to putting in the cooker.  It takes 10 minutes and the results are worth it.  I promise.
I made this stew the other day on a day when we were going on an outdoor outing.  Coming home to this delicious, hearty, hot stew was the perfect touch to a cold day.  It warms you from the inside out, what is better than that on a snowy cold day?! 

Some quick notes:

• Feel free to mix up veggies for whatever you like, parsnips are nice, peas, beans etc.
• A good crusty loaf of bread goes perfect with this, you'll want something to sop up all the yummy broth at the end
• I generally deglaze with some red wine, however I did not have any this day so I didn't include it in the recipe.  You can go just broth or deglaze with 1/2 C red wine.
• You can add the potatoes at the beginning if you like.  I don't like them to get too soft so I wait.  Also you can chop the potatoes into larger chunks so they cook slower to avoid any mushy potatoes.
• Do not crowd the pan when browning the beef.  If pan is too crowded beef with steam and not brown.  Brown in batches.
• A slow cooker liner will save you a ton of clean up at the end.  I highly recommend using one.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb stew meat, cut into bite size chunks
3 T flour
3 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T worstershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or a fresh thyme bundle)
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced (if greens are attached, chop em and use em there's alot of flavor in them)
2 C beef broth or stock
1 can whole kernel corn
salt and pepper

Recipe:

• Place flour in ziploc bag (or use a bowl), season with salt and pepper.  Place beef in bag and toss to coat with flour.
• Heat oil in skillet, add beef, being careful not to crowd the pan, do it in batches if necessary.  When browned on both sides (about 6 minutes) add to slow cooker.
• In same skillet, add the butter, onions and garlic.  Cook about 3 minutes until onion is soft.  Deglaze pan with wine if using, or by adding all the beef broth. Add worstershire. Stir with a rubber spatula being careful to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (there's alot of flavor in there).  Cook about 5 minutes and then add to crock pot.
• Add carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme to cooker. (Add potatoes if not able to do it an hour before)
• Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
• 1 hour before serving add potatoes and can of corn.
• Remove bay leaf

Serve with bread and enjoy.