New Year's Intention: Slow Cooker Italian-Style Beef Stew

Start your New Year’s healthy eating intentions with this hearty Slow Cooker Italian-Style Beef Stew—a wholesome, flavor-packed dish loaded with lean protein, vibrant veggies, and nourishing ingredients to keep you on track!

Slow Cooker Italian-Style Beef Stew

Happy 2025! I love kicking off each year by embracing my healthy eating goals with a hearty, nutritious soup. This year, I came across a Slow Cooker Italian-Style Beef Stew recipe that sounded amazing. With a few adjustments, it turned into a hearty and flavorful dish—perfect for starting the year on a healthy note!

This Slow Cooker Italian-Style Beef Stew is a hearty, comforting dish packed with bold flavors and wholesome ingredients. Tender chunks of beef chuck roast simmer alongside gold potatoes, carrots, celery, and cannellini beans in a rich tomato-based broth enhanced with red wine, garlic, and Italian herbs. The slow cooker does all the work, creating a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a deeply savory flavor profile. Finished with a touch of cornstarch for the perfect thickness, this stew is as nourishing as it is delicious, making it an ideal choice for a cozy, healthy meal any day of the week.

This dish is the perfect recipe for anyone looking for a delicious, nutritious, and low-effort meal. With minimal prep time and the convenience of a slow cooker, it’s an easy way to enjoy a comforting, homemade dinner without spending hours in the kitchen. Simply chop your ingredients, toss them into the slow cooker, and let it work its magic while you go about your day. The result is a tender, flavorful, savory, and aromatic stew the whole family will enjoy.   Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or feeding a family, this dish is a stress-free and satisfying choice! 

What Ingredients do I need?

Produce

• 1 ½ pounds gold potatoes
• 3 medium carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 medium onion
• 6 cloves garlic

Meat

• 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast

Canned Goods

• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans

Liquids

• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• ¾ cup red wine

Spices and Seasonings

• dried thyme
• dried oregano

Other

• cornstarch - used for thickening the broth

Substitutions and Variations

Substitutions

• Dried Thyme and Oregano: Swap with Italian seasoning or fresh herbs like rosemary and basil.

• Red Wine: Replace with additional beef broth, grape juice, or a splash of balsamic vinegar for depth.

• Cannellini Beans: Swap with great northern beans, chickpeas, or omit for a lower-carb option.

• Diced Tomatoes: Use fresh chopped tomatoes or crushed tomatoes for a slightly different texture.

• Beef Chuck Roast: Replace with stew meat or beef brisket.

• Gold Potatoes: Use red potatoes, russet potatoes, or even sweet potatoes for a slightly different flavor.

Variations

• Herb Lovers:  Use fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil for a more aromatic and herbaceous flavor.

• Low-Carb Version:  Skip the potatoes and beans, and replace them with cauliflower florets or zucchini for a low-carb alternative.

• Vegetarian Option:  Replace the beef with mushrooms (like portobello or cremini), double up on the beans, and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use the Right Cut of Meat:  Choose beef chuck roast or another well-marbled cut, as it becomes tender and flavorful when slow-cooked. Trim excess fat for a leaner stew.

• Chop Ingredients Uniformly:  Cut the vegetables into even pieces to ensure they cook evenly. Aim for larger chunks to prevent them from becoming too soft during the long cooking process.

• Layer Ingredients Correctly:  Place the vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the meat, and pour the liquid over everything. This ensures even cooking and flavor distribution.

• Taste and Adjust Seasonings:  Taste the stew near the end of cooking and adjust salt, pepper, or herbs as needed for a perfectly balanced flavor.

• Thicken Without Lumps:  When adding the cornstarch mixture, whisk it well and stir it in gradually to avoid lumps. Let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken properly.

• Great for Leftovers: The stew stores well and tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

• Bonus Tip:  Serve with crusty bread and a side salad for a complete meal. 

     Equipment You May Need     

• All Clad Slow Cooker - I own this and it is the best slow cooker I've ever had.

• CrockPot Slow Cooker - This is a great manual model

• Chef's Knife 8" - a staple in every kitchen

• Cutting Board - great board - it has one side with compartments for charcuterie use and the other side is solid flat with grooves for catching juices.

• Soup Bowls  - nice wide and deep bowls perfect for stew!

     Other Delicious Soups     

• Simple Pasta Fagioli

• Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

• Chicken Pot Pie Soup

• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup

• Tomato Gnocchi Soup

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Slow Cooker Italian Style Beef Stew


Serves 6-8


1 ½ pounds gold potatoes, cut into quarters
3 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
¾ cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed

Combine potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and beef in a 6-qt. or larger slow cooker. Stir together tomatoes, tomato paste, 1¾ cups broth, wine, salt, and pepper; pour over the beef mixture. Sprinkle in the dried herbs.

Cover and cook on "Low" 8 hours or on "High" for 5-6 until beef is tender. 

Whisk together cornstarch and the remaining ¼ cup broth in a small bowl; stir into the stew. Gently stir in beans; cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the stew is thickened and the beans are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Adapted from:  Eating Well

Happy New Year from Slice of Southern

Just a simple wish for you. 

"I hope that 2017 if the best year yet!"

Happy New Year

Mixed Cheese & Cracker, Crudite Platter with Fresh Dill Dip

Yum

Man oh man, the days are just flying by!

The end of the year is a few days away.  I've barely recovered from Christmas!  But I really love New Year's Eve.

For the last several years our tradition has been to go out for a nice romantic dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. The restaurant used to be an old house and each year we sit in the front windows and watch all the twinkle lights as we eat some wonderful food.   It's typically raining which just adds to romantic ambiance of it all.

I'm sure that we will keep this tradition up this year as well.  I've already heard that rain is in the forecast of course!  However, I'm going to mix it up just a bit by having a Mixed Cheese & Cracker, Crudité Platter with Fresh Dill Dip before we leave.

Served with my Pear Sparklers this is the perfect little snack to have pre-dinner while sitting around the Christmas tree.  We keep our tree up each year through the New Year just to enjoy it for an additional week. 

MIXED CHEESE & CRACKER, CRUDITE PLATTER WITH FRESH DILL DIP

This platter mixture is easy to put together.  Make the dip ahead (recipe below) and refrigerate it for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend.  Cut up some crudité like carrots, celery, cucumbers or anything you have on hand such as broccoli florets or sliced bell peppers.  Add some cheese and crackers to round it out and arrange it all on a platter to have guests help themselves. 

It's simple and easy, yet it's a good way to have some quick appetizers.  You can adjust the amount to feed a crowd or a few people for an intimate gathering.  It's all up to you.

Enjoy!
Have a safe and happy New Year!






Fresh Dill Dip

makes 2 cups

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a small bowl mix all ingredients together until well combine.  Refrigerate dip for at least 1 hour before serving so flavors will blend.

It's almost New Year's Eve!

Usually, I make several appetizers for our New Years Eve get together. However, this year I came across a wonderful recipe that I just had to share with you. Its called New Years Eve Pizza which I found on the King Arthur Flour site.

A wonderful tradition in Sicily is to make this pizza on New Years Eve. The pizza is a deep dish style Sicilian pizza however, the ingredients are simple with tomatoes, onions and cheese, and the secret is to top it with breadcrumbs creating a crusty texture on top. YUM!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and get to make this pizza this New Year's Eve! Its always fun to carry on your own or someone else's tradition.  

I hope you have a safe and Happy New Year!!

Kitchen Tip:  Use store bought pizza dough to save on time! Optional items are sometimes specialty items that can be bought at KingArthurFlour.com and are just that...optional. They can be left out if you like.

Note:  pictures courtesy of www.KingArthurFlour.com

new year's eve pizza

source:  www.kingarthurflour.com

Hands-on time:	25 mins. to 35 mins.
Baking time:	35 mins. to 35 mins.
Total time:	4 hrs to 4 hrs 10 mins.
Yield:	One large pizza, about 12 to 15 servings

Crust

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional but delicious
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water*
• *Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.
• 
  

Topping

• 2 large sweet onions
• 28-ounce can chopped or diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning, optional
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 4 ounces provolone, shredded
• 3/4 to 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups coarse dried bread crumbs, such as Panko
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Pizza Seasoning, optional

Directions

1. 1) To make the crust: Combine all of the ingredients and mix and knead to make a smooth, soft dough, using a stand mixer, bread machine, or your hands.
2. 2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large 8-cup measure (or leave it in the bread machine), and let it rise till it's very puffy, about 90 minutes.
3. 3) While the dough is rising, prepare the toppings. Start by peeling and slicing the onions, and frying them with a bit of olive oil till they're golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes. Midway through, add salt and sugar to taste, if desired; about 1 tablespoon sugar will heighten their flavor.
4. 4) Add the tomatoes to the fried onions, along with the Pizza Seasoning, if desired. Simmer and stir for a couple of minutes. If the sauce seems overly liquid, continue to cook till it's firmed up a bit. You don't want it totally dry, like scrambled eggs, but neither do you want it swimming in liquid. Use your judgment. Turn off the heat, and let the mixture cool while the dough rises.
5. 5) Stir together the bread crumbs, oil, and Pizza Seasoning, if you're using it. Set it aside.
6. 6) Spray a large rimmed baking sheet (a 13" x 18" half sheet pan is perfect) with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Drizzle it with olive oil, tilting the pan so the oil spreads out a bit.
7. 7) Gently deflate the risen dough, and stretch it into an oval in your hands. Plop the oval onto the baking sheet, and press it towards the edges. When it starts to fight back, walk away for 15 minutes. When you return, you should be able to press it to the edges and nearly into the corners. If you can't, give it another short rest, and try again. You want the dough to cover as much of the pan's bottom as possible (without making yourself too crazy about it).
8. 8) Cover the dough, and let it rise till puffy, about 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
9. 9) Uncover the dough, and sprinkle it with the shredded mozzarella and provolone. Then spread the tomato/onion sauce over the cheese.
10. 10) Top with the Parmesan, then the bread crumbs.
11. 11) Bake the pizza for 35 minutes, or until the crust and crumbs are brown. Remove it from the oven, and serve it hot or warm. Hint: to prevent a soggy bottom crust, cut the pizza in half crosswise, then lift each half onto a cooling rack. Cut individual slices with a pair of scissors.
12. Yield: about 12 servings.

New Year's Eve Appetizers

 

The last party of the year is upon us!  Bring on 2014!

Time to throw together some easy but tasty appetizers for you, your family and any guests you may be having over for the big countdown.

MGG and I love to have small bites to much throughout the night and these are so easy to put together you'll want to serve all of them!

First off is one of my favorites!  Garlic Rubbed Toast with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil is a take on the Roman classic bruschetta al pomodoro.  My mom and I ate this every night as our appetizer when we were in Rome.  These are such basic fresh ingredients, that you will be amazed at the brilliance of putting these simple items together will bring such flavor.

Use a good ripe cherry tomato, which should be available this time of year, along with a good loaf of country or italian bread.  I slice mine on a bias to give it that pretty look.  The rest is history, as they say.  Simple.  Flavorful.  Wonderful.

Garlic Rubbed Toast with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

serves 6

1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
16 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped or julienned
12 slices of country or italian bread, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
4-6 T extra virgin olive oil

Bread may be toasted in the oven at 350 about 8 minutes.  Once toasted rub a whole garlic clover over the toasted bread.  One garlic clove should cover about 3 slices.

To assemble:  Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on the bread, dividing evenly. Drizzle with olive oil and top evenly with basil.  Serve immediately.

I also had the pleasure yesterday of assisting my friend at Williams-Sonoma in preparing quite and array of finger foods.

We made several items, beginning with Three Cheese Filo Triangles. (shown above) Super yummy, but a little labor intensive.  TIP:  They can be made ahead and frozen before cooking.  We also made some quick and easy bites that were right up my alley for putting together multiple appetizers for serving that are easy to put together.  All of these featured their line of "Entertaining Dip Starters".  Boy oh boy are these good!  Included are: Rosemary Garlic Crostini with Roasted Red Pepper Dip and Shaved Roast Beef. (Killer!)  Hot Spinach and Artichoke Crostini, and Crostini with Caramelized Onion topped with Roast Beef.

(Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip served on top of Crostini.  Just follow the directions on the jar! Done in 30 min.)

(Roasted Red Pepper and Roast Beef Crostini.  Using a garlic rosemary oil on the crostini before toasting.  This is the bomb!)  Trust me, I ate at least 4...

(my 4th one..!)

(I noticed I forgot a pic of the Caramelized Onion Roast Beef Crostini...hmmm.  Easy as pie, just heat up the jar of the dip starter and use as the base on the crostini)

All were fabulous but I'm most partial to the Red Pepper version!  So much so I bought a couple of jars of the dip to experiment with at home.  Woohoo!

So I hope this brings you some great ideas for quick serving snacks for your New Year's Eve plans.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Spinach and Feta Mini Turnovers

Tomorrow is New Years Eve!

A special time for all to ring in the new year.  I'm off to do some girly stuff today like get a mani/pedi, and some light shopping.  Celebration time!  Some sparkly is in order don't you think?

But before I go I wanted to show you these wonderful appetizers.  A friend of mine brought these to a function at work and I decided to try my hand and make my version of Spinach and Feta Mini Turnovers.

The Greek flavors inside a nicely browned and flaky pie dough is just the right combination for a small appetizer to serve anytime...but especially on new years eve.  What a great New Year's Eve appetizer!!

I bought this handy turnover mold (filled pastry press) at Williams-Sonoma a couple of weeks ago and was so eager to try it out.  It's really easy to use and it gives me a reason to make all types of appetizers or desserts using this gadget, where as I might now want to fuss with otherwise.  How does apple, pear, and raisin turnovers sounds?  How about mushroom turnovers?  Limitless variations await you!  Here is the item I used, and you can find it here.

It made making the appetizers really easy, and you can imagine the endless variations you could come up with.  A simple ready made pie dough is all you need.  If you wants puff pastry works really well as well.

Using a store bought dough I made about 10 appetizers with the 2 rolls.  Perfect for a small intimate party or a piece of a larger arrange of appetizers.

If you don't want to purchase the mold then you can make these the old fashioned way by cutting squares, adding the filling, and then creating triangles to enclose the filling.  Works as well, but is a little more work and effort than this mold.

So while I'm out doing my pampering, take a look at this recipe and try these delicious bites!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Spinach and Feta Mini Turnovers 

Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 package of ready- made pie crust (2 crusts)
1 pkg. (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 
½ tsp onion powder 
¼ tsp garlic powder 
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 
1 egg beaten for an egg wash

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 400°F. 

Drain thawed spinach really well getting out all water. Place in a medium bowl. Add cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir to combine.

Unroll the pie crust lightly floured surface. Place over the bottom of a floured pastry mold, and gently press down dough in triangles to mold. Brush edges of the triangles with an egg wash. Place about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture in the center of each triangle mold.

Unroll the other pie crust on the floured surface. Place the pie crust over the top of the filling. Take the top pastry mold and place upside down over the pastries. Press down tightly to score the dough and assist with sealing the dough. Take off the top mold. Turn the bottom mold over to release the pastries.

Using a knife or pastry cuter trim each pastry along the edges using the scoring as a guideline. Remove any excess pie crust dough. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with an egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.  Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Sausage Mushroom Quiche Appetizers

Happy New Year!

The coming of the New Year always makes me think of a "fresh start", a "new beginning", and trying...I said trying to eat healthier!

So I thought I would start the new year off running.  My boyfriend, I call him MGG (My Greek God) for reasons I'll not say, loves eggs.  So I thought I would try a variation of a recipe I saw recently from EatingWell (told you I was trying to eat healthy!)  So this is my variation of Mini Mushroom and Sausage Quiches.  They made theirs in regular muffin cups but I wanted to make tiny bite-sized appetizers and vary the ingredients just a little.  They are crustless, so carbs are down, and they are light and savory.

They are great for a New Year's party or New Year's brunch.  They can also be frozen and pulled out to enjoy later. Hope you enjoy them.


To make this you will need bulk sausage, mushrooms, onion, butter, eggs, milk, swiss cheese, and pepper. Also you will need a mini muffin tin that is non-stick...this is very important. (the non-stick part) Otherwise they will not come out easily and we want things to be easy don't we?

First crumble some sausage and brown it in a skillet.  Make sure to crumble it really fine so they fit in the mini muffin cups. Add onions along with the sausage.  I ran out so I used onion flakes which worked fine, but real onion might be better. Remove sausage to a plate (or in my case a Marie Calendar's pie pan!)

Add a tablespoon of butter (there went the healthy part!) to the hot skillet and saute the mushrooms until golden brown. Add these to the plate as well.

Allow sausage and mushrooms to cool for about 5 min.  Add cheese and pepper and mix it all together.

Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. 

Pore mixture in each muffin cup about 1/2 way full.  Add a heaping teaspoon of sausage mixture to each one.  Make sure to spread it all evenly amongst all the cups.  It should look like this.

Looks tasty!

Pop them in the oven at 325 degrees and cook until just starting to brown.  About 30 min.

Remove and allow to cool in pan about 5 min.  Then place a cooling rack on top of them and flip them over to release.  Plop! See how pretty!

Allow to cool and then eat 'em up!  Soooo good!  MGG ate about 6 - 7 of these in a matter of minutes...really I lost count cause they seemed to disappear rapidly so I think it was more...but he won't fess up!  Sneaky!

Enjoy these wonderful treats!

Sausage Mushroom Quiche Appetizers

Variation of Mini Mushroom and Sausage Quiches - Source: EatingWell 

INGREDIENTS

8 oz bulk sausage, crumbled into small pieces

1 Tbl butter

8 oz mushrooms, chopped into small pieces

1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

 8 eggs

 1 cup 2% milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat to 325 degrees. Coat a nonstick mini-muffin tin generously with cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes crumbling pieces as you cook so you have tiny crumbles. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add butter to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and pepper.

Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely. 

Spinach and Feta Cheese Bundles

It's almost New Year's Eve and I'm in the mood for some appetizers...are you?

I've been eyeing this calzone recipe from Cooking Light and decided to make a variation of it buy turning it in to little appetizer bundles. 

So here's my test run with this new recipe. They came out great!  I can't wait to serve them at my New Year's celebration.  Hope you try them too!

You'll need a can of pizza dough.  I used Pillsbury's thin crust pizza dough.

Unroll it on to a 15x8" pan that you have sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

Stretch it out to fit the sheet. 

Next take a pizza cutter and cut 4 rows across the width and 3 rows down the length of the dough.

You should end up with 12 small squares.

Sprinkle the minced garlic evenly over the 12 squares.  Use a little more if you dare!

Cut up the red onion into very thin slices and then separate them in to rings like this.

Place a small mound of baby spinach on each square..not too much...these get pretty full!

Place 1 or 2 thin onion rings on each bundle, as you please.

Place several crumbles of mushrooms (about 4-5 crumbles) on top of that.

Place feta cheese on top of that.  I used about 1 teaspoon on each one, crumbling up the pieces a little more.

Then you take 1 corner, and the opposite corner and pinch them together well.  Take the two remaining corner and do the same.  Pinch all points together now...real tight or they will come apart!

Look how pretty!

Pop 'em in the oven at 400 degrees for 12 min, until golden brown.  Ummm Ummm!
Take a look at these babies will ya?
Making my mouth water...

I'm definitely going to make some variations of this....stay tuned!

Spinach and Feta Cheese Bundles

A variation of Cooking Light’s recipe Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese

A scrumptious appetizer!

12 servings

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust - thin crust variety
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
12 -16 thin rings of red onion
4 oz. button mushrooms sliced and crumbled in pieces
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; stretch out dough to fit a 15x8” pan.  Cut dough into 4 rows lengthwise and then 3 row width-wise creating 12 squares.  Sprinkle garlic evenly over squares.  

Cut onion in to very thin slices and separate in to rings.

Top each square with a mound of baby spinach, 2 onion rings, about 6 mushroom crumbles and 1 teaspoon of feta cheese.

To make bundles bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden.