Apple Cider Beef Stew

What's better on a cold, rainy day than a good, hearty chili or stew?

I've made plenty of chili's in the past, so I opted for a stew this time... I came across a recipe for Apple Cider Beef Stew. Seeing the words Apple Cider caught my attention! I'm not a fan of Apple JUICE, but I do love a hot cup of Apple CIDER! So, without hesitation, I pulled out my ingredients for this yummy sounding stew!
And even better, it involved the slow cooker! YES!


And it certainly lived up to its expectations...it was so yummy, I can't help but share it with you!

APPLE CIDER BEEF STEW

4 cups frozen vegetables for stew (about 24 oz), thawed
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained *I"m not a fan, so I omitted these*
1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained *feel free to omit if you aren't a mushroom fan*
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
2 teaspoons steak seasoning
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 in. cubes
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 1/4 cups apple cider OR unsweetened apple juice
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water

-Place vegetables, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and minced onion in a 5 qt slow cooker
-In large resealable plastic bag, combine the gravy mix, soup mix, steak seasoning, and cinnamon; Add beef, and shake to coat
-Add beef to slow cooker
-Combine the broth, cider, and tomato sauce; pour over beef.
-Add bay leaf
-Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (*I actually cooked on high for 4 hours)
-Combine cornstarch and water in bowl until smooth; stir into stew
-Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until thickened.
-Discard bay leaf

I forgot to grab bread rolls at the store to serve with this, so I just served toast! YUM!