Beef Stew over Noodles

It is comfort food weather in Lakeview and what better comfort food than a nice steaming plate of Beef Stew over tender egg noodles?  Comfort food to me is a meal that can take you back to a memory or place in time.  A dish that fills your stomach and your soul.  When I think of foods that comfort me I am always transported to my mom's kitchen and the many meals that she served our family when I was young.  I hope that when my children grow up they will have as fond of memories about me in the kitchen as I do about my sweet mama.

I love to take a recipe and put my own twist on it.  As a child I never remember eating beef stew over egg noodles but I think that it adds another dimension and texture to an already hearty meal.  Most of the time I make my stew in a crock pot but lately I have been in a little bit of a funk when it comes to organization.  I am ready for the June that has her meals planned and shopping done before the week starts to return from wherever she has been because I miss her!  I'm afraid I may have left her in Vegas and if that is the case then my poor kids may never eat a square meal again. 

To make the stew you will need 1 pound of stew meat, 1/2 of an onion (chopped), 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 8oz. package of sliced mushrooms, 1 large carrots (sliced), 1/2 cup frozen peas, 2 packages of brown gravy and beef broth...

I began making the stew with a pound of stew meat that I purchased at the store.  I cut the meat into smaller chunks because I like for all of the items in my stew to be a smaller size.  I then put 1/4 cup of flour and a 1/4 teaspoon of both salt and pepper in a large Ziploc bag and added the beef chunks shaking to coat...

Once coated add the meat to about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil that has been heated over medium high heat in a large pot or skillet.  Brown the meat on all sides and remove from pan (it doesn't need to be cooked through).  To the same pan add a little more extra virgin olive oil if needed and 1/2 of a large onion that has been chopped, sprinkle with kosher salt and cook onions until they are translucent...

Add the cooked onions to the meat and set aside.  Now is the time when you get personalize your stew to your liking.  At this point I added a carton of sliced mushrooms to the pan with a tablespoon of butter and cooked until tender.  Once tender I added 2 garlic cloves (but you could use one) that were minced and cooked for a minute longer.  I then added the mushrooms to the onions and meat...

For added body and nutritiousness I added carrots (again to the same pan) that I had sliced thinly and let them cook for a few minutes.  You still want them to have a bite.  Now it is time to put it all together!!!  So exciting!!!  Add the plate of meat, onions and mushrooms along with 2 package's of brown gravy mix and 3 cups of beef broth to the pot with the carrots.  Let it simmer on the stove for 25 minutes to an hour.  If it thickens up too much just add a little more beef broth.  About 20 minutes before I was ready to serve I cooked my egg noodles according to package instructions and added about 1/2 cup of frozen peas to the stew mixture.  

This is the point that I like to take a quick taste to see if it needs any additional salt or pepper.  Please note that sometimes the brown gravy packets can be a little salty, so don't add any extra salt until you know if it needs it.  Between the brown gravy packets and the flour on meat the stew should thicken up nicely.  Serve with a side salad or a corn muffin like I have here and be in comfort food heaven!!  Sweet stew-J

NOTE:  After eating my family and I decided that although the noodles were good...serving it over mashed potatoes would be even more fabulous.  Just a thought.  Enjoy.