Name: Slow-Cooker Beef & Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes 🥩🥔
Ingredients: 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) stewing beef, cut into chunks; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 500 ml (about 2 cups) beef broth; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Fresh chopped parsley, optional; 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) potatoes; 50 g (about 3½ tablespoons) butter; 150 ml (about ⅔ cup) warm milk, adjusted to reach your preferred texture; 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, optional; Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients

Scale

For the beef and brown gravy

1 kg (about 2.2 lb) stewing beef, cut into chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
500 ml (about 2 cups) beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped parsley, optional

For the mashed potatoes

1 kg (about 2.2 lb) potatoes
50 g (about 3½ tablespoons) butter
150 ml (about ⅔ cup) warm milk, adjusted to reach your preferred texture
2 tablespoons crème fraîche, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Brown the beef

Season the beef generously with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the meat on all sides in batches, without crowding the pan. This step is optional, but it is highly recommended: browning creates the Maillard reaction, which develops deep, roasted flavor that makes your gravy taste far richer.

Step 2: Load the slow cooker

Place the sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker (Crockpot). Add the browned beef on top. If there are browned bits left in the skillet, add a splash of broth, scrape them up and pour everything into the slow cooker. That is concentrated flavor you do not want to waste.

Step 3: Make the sauce

In a bowl, whisk together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, dried thyme, onion powder and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the beef and stir gently so everything is coated.

Step 4: Cook low and slow

Cover and cook until the beef is very tender:

LOW: 7 to 8 hours
HIGH: 4 to 5 hours

Cooking times can vary depending on the size of your beef pieces and your particular slow cooker. The beef is ready when it breaks apart easily with a fork.

Step 5: Thicken the gravy

About 20 to 30 minutes before the end of cooking, ladle a little hot liquid into a bowl. Whisk the flour with a few tablespoons of cold water until completely smooth, then stir it gradually into the slow cooker. Cover and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is thick, glossy and velvety. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

For an extra-silky finish, stir the 2 tablespoons of butter into the gravy at the end. It adds richness and a lovely sheen.