Stew with only meat veg gravy

[Oreyt]

I don't have a slow cooker either.

How do you make yours?

Thanks!

Do you have potato’s OP?

I cook that basic stew on the hob. If I do sliced braising steak I fry meat and onions first, make a gravy in the juices, pour over the meat and oven cook. I’d serve that with mash and steamed veg. I also sometimes do the meat and veg type stew in the oven and add dumplings, thicken the gravy at the end and serve with separate potatoes and extra veg. Or I have recipes, the best ones are from an old M&S casserole book.

You definitely need a gravy type liquid in a stew but we are saying you don't need to use a gravy mix or granules to achieve this. Same for shepherd pie: fry off the meat & veg then mix in a little flour then add the seasoning and liquid - beef stock, tomato puree, lea & perrins plus bay & thyme - so no need for packet mix or gravy granules. Top with mashed potato (& grated cheese if you like it) & bake in the oven

I have just demolished a big bowl.of veg stew with dumplings. (Made by my 13 year old son!)

If we make it with meat, I fry the meat off with onions first and then add the veg (potatoes, carrots, parsnip swede) with a couple of stock cubes and bay leaf and splash of either brown sauce or Worcestershire sauce in the slow cooker on low all day, adding the suet dumplings about half an hour towards the end (we like them squidgy!).

Repeat the same with veg stew, just minus the meat. Do add a couple of spoons of gravy granules if there's no meat in there though as there isn't as much flavour.

Only two of us like it so a huge slow cooker pan will do us today, tomorrow and probably Saturday lunch. I prefer it the day after as the flavours deepen.