Slow Cooked Beef and leek Casserole

So last night was supposed to be something completely different but we had an impromptu visitor for dinner, our neighbour, so I gave kids the food I had planned (Tuna meatballs thanks to My Fussy Eater ) and then I threw a ton of ingredients into my slow cooker and let that work it’s magic! Thank god for slow cookers!

So start by frying off some baby leeks with a diced onion. If you have a saute function in your slow cooker set it to this otherwise use a frying pan on the hob…

Now coat your beef in some flour, use about 2 tbsp and then fry your beef. Add garlic, rosemary, celery and fry for a few minutes…

Now add 1 tbsp mustard and some chopped carrots..

Then in go your chopped tomatoes, beef stock, 1 tbsp mixed herbs, 1 large tbsp tomato puree and 1 tbsp paprika….stir, season and then switch to slow cooker mode and cook on slow for 7 hours…

For the last half an hour add a big handful of mushrooms..

 

and then finally add a handful of spinach, stir through and serve with some mash, or salad, or some roasted new potatoes and green beans…

 

So to recap here’s what you need:

• 800g diced casserole beef
• 1 onion – diced
• 2 garlic cloves – crushed
• 2 celery stalks – chopped
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 5 baby leeks – roughly chopped
• 2 carrots – chopped
• Handful of mushrooms
• Handful of spinach
• 500ml beef stock (or 400ml beef stock and 1 glass of red wine)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp english mustard
• 2 rosemary stalks
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 2 tbsp plain flour

What you need to do:

• Start by frying off your onion and leeks in a frying pan or using the saute mode on your slow cooker
• Next coat your beef in the flour.
• Now brown off your beef in the same pan as the onion and leek.
• Add your garlic, celery, rosemary and fry for a few minutes
• Next add your carrots, mustard and mixed herbs.
• Now transfer to your slow cooker or just switch to slow cooker mode and then add your tinned tomatoes, stock (and wine if using), tomato puree and paprika. Season and stir and then cook on low for 7 hours.
• When ready simply stir through some fresh spinach and enjoy with some potatoes and greens.

NOTES: This should be nice and thick by this stage but if it’s not then simply add a little cornflour to this to thicken.

As always please let me know if you try this! Hope you like it! xx