Hearty Venison (or beef, pork, etc) Stew

[Rachael2288]

This is such a perfect meal when it is as cold as Minnesota has been recently... negative 40 degree windchill? Yeah, not leaving the house

Throw everything into your crock pot and leave it for a few hours and you have a hearty, delicious stew for dinner and at least breakfast the next day!

Ingredients (looks long but its mostly spices)

• 1-2 lbs cubed venison stew meat (could sub beef, pulled pork, chicken, etc)
  
• 1 10 oz pkg baby bella mushrooms, diced
  
• 1 lb pkg organic carrots, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 white onion, diced
  
• 1 28 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  
• 1 c broth or stock *mine was homemade
  
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  
• 1-2 tbsp EVOO
  
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 tbsp Savory Spice Blend from Practical Paleo
  
• 1 tbsp dried basil
  
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
  
• 1 tbsp french thyme (from TJ's)
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• salt and pepper
  

How to:

Place all the vegetables in the crock pot (I used a 6 quart which was perfect)

Put your protein over the vegetables and pour the tomatoes, broth, EVOO, and balsamic over the top

Next put in the garlic and spices

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly

Turn the crock pot on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8, stirring every hour or so if possible

You will know it is done with the carrots and onions are cooked through and no longer crunchy

Remove the bay leaves before serving! Nobody wants to eat a leaf...

Serve alone or with cubed avocado on top and try to forget it's ten below outside.

Check out my blog for pictures!!!