Nancy's Stew

This is Nancy Larson's recipe - Jared's mom. She makes it in the oven, but I've adapted it for the crock pot. It's yummy!

1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
1 can tiny peas
3/4 cup carrots, sliced in small rounds
1/2 c chopped onions (I've also used minced onion as a substitute)
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 can tomato soup with 1/2 can water
1 big potato, diced in cubes
1 bay leaf

Start with the tomato soup and water, then add the salt, pepper and bay leaf. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into crock pot and set the temperature on Low. Put tin foil over the top of the crock pot and then the lid over the tin foil. This helps seal in the heat and makes the meat more tender. Cook on low about five hours.

Notes: This can also be baked slowly in the oven at 275 degrees in a casserole dish with tight-fitting lid, or with tin foil under the lid.

Tips: Meat cooks faster in the crock pot than vegetables. If you add the stew meat when it's frozen, it will be more tender. If you pre-cook the carrots, potatoes and onions, the stew will be done quicker. This isn't a thick type of stew, but if you find it's a thicker consistency than you like when it's done, I've discovered that adding some vegetable broth (in the soup section of the grocery store) makes the flavor even better!