A hearty stew will warm chilled bones on a blustery winter day. Serve up steaming bowls of this simple yet nutritious and satisfying combination to anyone looking for a hearty meal.

Hearty Beef Stew

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can recipe-ready diced tomatoes, undrained
2 small carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 teaspoon beef base or bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat. Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes with juice, carrots, beef base or bouillon and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Add potato; cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes or until beef is tender.

Makes 4 servings.

Crockery Cooker Method: Cook beef, onion, celery and garlic as above. Spoon beef mixture into crockery cooker; cover with potato, tomatoes with juice, carrots, bouillon and thyme. Cover; cook on high heat for 5 to 6 hours or on low heat for 10 to 12 hours or until beef is tender.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 400 Calories from Fat: 160 Total Fat: 18 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Cholesterol: 80 mg Sodium: 930 mg Carbohydrates: 33 g Dietary Fiber: 6 g Sugars: 12 g Protein: 29 g

Recipe and photograph are the property of Nestlé® and Meals.com, used with permission.