Winter is setting in, there’s a nip in the air, and the hope that reading week offered is now gone. Did you really get as much as you were hoping for done? If you’re going to be continuing the late-night streak, you’re going to need a hearty meal to keep you trudging along. And stew is where it’s at. Even if you bypass the meat and just make a veggie stew, there’s still enough in it to keep you running through a few more weeks of this semester.

And, yet again, I’m telling you that the Instant Pot is a student’s new best friend. Maybe use this recipe to convince your parents it’s a worthy stocking stuffer? They don’t want their prodigy starving, right?

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon butter/oil
  • 500g/1-pound beef chunks
  • 1 cup onions (you can use whatever you have)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced.
  • 2 carrots, chopped up
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 3 potatoes, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup of broth (chicken, beef, veggie, your choice)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Brown the Beef: Turn on the sauté function on and heat butter. Add the beef chunks and brown the beef on high. Don’t move the beef around too much, they brown faster. IF you’re still nervous about using the sauté function, you can brown the beef in a pan and add it to the Instant Pot.
  2. Cook: Add onions and garlic to the beef and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and 3/4 cup broth. Place the lid, turn vent to sealing, and set on meat/stew for 35 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release the rest of the pressure. You can also let all the pressure release naturally if you have time (or if you’ve accidentally taken a nap).
  3. Thicken: Whisk the flour in with the remaining broth and add it to the stew. Switch on the sauté function and let the stew simmer for 5 minutes or until it’s at your preferred thickness.