A delicious, warming recipe that is very easy-to-make. Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Beef Stew is about to become your favorite recipe this winter. This recipe originally appeared on Gluten Free School.

I literally throw this into the crockpot day after Christmas because it’s the perfect way to start detoxing from excess. Hardy “stick to your ribs” types of meals like my slow cooker sweet potato beef stew are perfect for the colder months. Especially after the overindulgent holidays where you likely ate too much sugar and rich foods.

Super warming… sweet potato beef stew is a killer one-pot meal that also makes excellent leftovers or as part of a meal leading into New Years and beyond.

Truthfully, this is a lazy person’s ideal meal. It’s so easy to make and will take amazing even if you don’t brown the beef cubes ahead of time.

A word of caution cooking with bay leaves

This recipe calls for one bay leaf. If you’ve never cooked with whole bay leaves before, please read this.

Before serving any meal cooked with bay leaves, you must remove the bay leaves before serving. Know exactly how many you added to the dish so you don’t accidentally leave any behind.

The reason is that they do not break down in food or disintegrate. Therefore, you can choke on whole bay leaves or pieces of the leaf. If you happen to swallow them, they can damage your intestinal tract.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Beef Stew Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 lbs cubed beef (or "stew meat") Browned on each side or use raw (your choice!)
• 4 cups vegetable or beef broth
• 2 large sweet potatoes skinned and cut into 1" cubes
• 1 large White Onion diced
• 2 cups red and yellow bell peppers strips
• 4 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 stalk Celery thinly sliced
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 3/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

 

• Allow your beef cubes to come to room temperature (if you have the time). If not, it's not the end of the world.
• Plug in your slow cooker and set the temperature to LOW.
• Add the hard veggies first (ie. sweet potato) to the bottom. Then layer the rest of the veggies over top.
• Add the meat to the top.
• Pour the broth over top.
• Evenly sprinkle your seasonings over the meat and veggie mix.
• Slide 1 bay leaf in between the meat and veggie mix and the wall of the slow cooker. Ideally keep it near a handle so it makes it easier to find.
• Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (overnight is fine) with the lid on.
• Once it's cooked, turn the slow cooker off. Remove the bay leaf.
• Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy!