Beef Stew for a Rainy Day

It has been raining around here. A LOT. Yesterday, it rained so hard that a massive puddle formed in our backyard. And the wind was so strong I felt a bit like Dorothy. So we hunkered down for the day and I decided to make something warm and cozy for dinner. Nothing's better then a slow cooker for that type of meal. I decided to go with Emeril's beef stew recipe on Food Network. I was not about to run out to the store, so the stew lacked the frozen peas it requires. And making Emeril's Essence was one more step then I had time for, so the beef was simple browned with salt and pepper. But despite these changes, YUM! It turned out quite good if I do say so myself.

I served it over some whole wheat noodles tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Noodles are kid friendly and that's why I chose them...but I think it would be great served plain with a big chunk of crusty bread too. A simple side salad finished of the meal.

So if you are in need of a new recipe to try this weekend, I say give it a try! Easy to throw everything in the slow cooker, and the house smells good all day. Oh, and the recipe says it takes 8 hours in the slow cooker? Well, I did about 6 and it was great.

Happy Weekend!