Skier's Stew

Anyone who knows me for even the shortest amount of time knows that I loathe when temperatures drop and the coldness sets in. One redeeming quality to the short days and frigid Illinois farm field blowing snow is this stew. I found it in a cookbook that I had purchased from Taste of Home magazine years ago, but it is one that I make several times per year. What makes this stew special is that it slow cooks for 5 hours in the oven so that  the meat can be cut with a spoon. I serve it with either biscuits or yeast rolls from my bread maker. It is such pure simplicity and down home goodness that it warms from the inside out.

So, here we go:

Ingredients:

2 lbs stew meat cut into 1 inch chunks
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
25 baby carrots, cut into chunks
1 can diced tomatoes, drained and juices reserved in a 2 cup measuring cup
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Directions:

1) In a large dutch oven, layer half the potatoes, meat, carrots and tomatoes. Repeat layer

2) Add water to reserved tomato juice from drained tomatoes to equal 1/2 cup of liquid. Pour over stew.

3) Pour tomato sauce and top with the onion soup mix. DO NOT STIR

4) Place in an oven that has been preheated to 250 degrees and bake for 5 hours.

5) Remove from oven and stir. Serve with biscuits or rolls.