Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Stew

• 1.5 lbs of lean beef for stew - 1" pieces
• 2 TB vegetable oil
• 6 TB flour
• 1 can condensed beef broth
• 3 medium carrots
• 3 medium potatoes
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cup of water

Cooking Instructions:

Cut all the vegetables into 1-inch pieces and add them to the crock-pot with the condensed beef broth and 1 cup of water.

Coat the beef stew meat with 3 tablespoons of flour. Brown the meat in a skillet with the vegetable oil until all the sides are browned. Drain

Add the browned stew meat and bay leaf into the crock pot. Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. During the last 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf and turn on high.

Sprinkle the 3 remaining tablespoons of the flour over the stew mixture, wait for 3 minutes then stir the mixture. Slowly add the 1/2-cup of water. Cook until slightly thickened.