Pumpkin Beef Stew

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!!

I think I should start off by telling you how much fun I am having blogging.  I like the idea of being creative, it makes my brain think!   🙂  I get excited when I get new ideas and I look so forward to sharing them with you.    I am glad I picked everything Pumpkin this week, its really fun trying to create new and old things with pumpkin.  A lot of the recipes I show you are new to me too and if they turn out good (I wouldn’t post them if I thought they were bad or I will show you my flop) it’s a double plus in my book.  Like the Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Pancakes, those are two of my new favorites and will definitely make rotation in my meal plans.

So whats up with today’s recipe?  It’s Pumpkin Beef Stew! Mmmm, comfort food!  I know the combo sounds weird, but it’s not!  The pumpkin made the stew creamy without a huge pumpkin taste, just real subtle.  I added a pinch of cinnamon to give it a sweetness.  As for today’s blog title “He didn’t know” it’s for my Husband who had no clue pumpkin was in it.  If I told him, he wouldn’t of liked it.  He’s a picky eater, A total meat and potato man!  He he!!  I knew he would like it.  It was so good!

 

When I was at the bakery this morning, I found these cute rolls, and I automatically thought of stew!  Originally I was going to make pumpkin chili, but beef stew was calling me.  Can you see why?

 

This recipe was very easy to make.  I recommend trying it in the crockpot.  The meat would be super tender and would shred.  Just add the pumpkin about an hour before it’s done and I think that would be perfect!  Also if your a vegetarian, you could omit the beef and add black beans, that would be very good too!!  Do you like the little bread hat?

 

I really liked this in a bread bowl because the bread got mushy and was easy to cut with a fork.  So perfect!

 

Pumpkin Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil

3/4lbs of Lean Beef Stew Meat

1/12 (half of a 1/4cup) of Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup of diced onion

1 clove of garlic – minced

2 Cups of Beef or Vegetable Stock (I used vegetable)

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 Cup of Baby potatoes (I used a mix of red, white & purple)

1/2 cup of frozen corn

1 Large carrot – sliced

1 tsp of Thyme

1tsp of Rosemary

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1/2 Tsp of Smokey Paprika

1/2 Cup of Canned Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional:

Bread Bowl and Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

In a ziplock bag add your beef and sprinkle with flour.  Heat Olive Oil in a large pot.  Once it’s warm add your Beef and cook each side till browned (about 2 minutes per side).  Then take the beef out and set aside.

In the same Pot, add additional olive oil if needed and saute your onions and garlic till brown(about 3 minutes).  Add all your remaining ingredients to the pot, except for the pumpkin.  Stir well, add your beef back into the pot.  Cook for 1/2 hour then add the pumpkin.  Give it a nice stir.  Cook until vegetables and meat are tender.  The longer it cooks, the more tender and delicious it will be.  I cooked mine for about an hour, but could have done it longer, but I was hungry!!

If you have a bread bowl or a HUGE sandwich roll, cut out the top and carve a little bit of the middle out.  Don’t do it to much or the stew will soak through.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Makes about 6 – 1 cup servings

Calories for 1 serving of stew only:

Calories:  180, Fat:  4.5, Cholesterol:  35, Sodium:  492, Potassium:  195, Carbs:  21, Fiber 3.6, Sugar:  6.2, Protein:  14.5

Look at all those veggies pouring out of my bread bowl.  This was delish!!

 

Little Bread cubes on top!!  I LOVE Bread!  My biggest downfall.

 

It even looks like a little pumpkin!  Enjoy!!!!