Tonight’s dinner is a hearty stew made with beef, carrots and potatoes – that’s just about it! You don’t need to get crazy with tons of ingredients in order to make a tasty dish like this one. This is perfect to make ahead and just stick in the oven and cook until ready.

1 TBSP butter
1 pound stewing beef, chopped into small cubes
1 large onion, diced
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
2 – 3 cups water
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves (during simmer only, do not eat)
1 rib celery, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 large potato, diced

In a large frying pan, saute the beef in the butter until browned. Add onion and celery and continue to cook, until onions and celery become limp and slightly browned. Add flour, salt and pepper and toss to coat, then add carrots, potatoes and water and mix. Add thyme and bay leaves, and cover. Simmer for an hour on low heat, stirring intermittently OR you can put it into a casserole dish, and place into the oven for about an hour on 375 degrees F (that’s how I did it and I was pleased with how easy that made things)