One Pot Beef Stew
When you’re preparing for the arrival of a new baby, cooking is often the last thing on your mind — yet nourishing meals are exactly what you’ll need most in those early weeks of motherhood. Between sleepless nights, endless feeds, and adjusting to your new routine, the idea of chopping, cooking, and cleaning every night can feel overwhelming. That’s where recipes like this One Pot Beef Stew come to the rescue.
This stew is the ultimate comfort food: hearty, filling, and packed with simple, wholesome ingredients. The beauty of it lies in its simplicity — everything cooks together in one pot, which means less mess and less washing up (a big win when time and energy are limited). Even better, it reheats beautifully and freezes like a dream, making it the perfect meal prep recipe to stock up on before your baby arrives. Imagine pulling out a warm, homemade stew from the freezer when you’re too tired to cook — it’s like giving yourself a big hug in a bowl.
The recipe is also wonderfully flexible. With tender beef, carrots, potatoes, and peas simmered in a rich, flavorful broth, it’s family-friendly and nourishing enough to keep you going through those long days and nights. You can make a big batch, portion it out, and have several ready-to-go meals waiting for you.
If you’re nesting and looking for ways to prepare ahead, add this One Pot Beef Stew to your pre-baby freezer stash. It’s the kind of meal that saves your sanity, keeps you well-fed, and gives you one less thing to worry about — so you can focus on what really matters: soaking up those precious newborn snuggles.
One Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.2 kg stewing beef cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp plain flour for coating the beef
- salt & pepper
- 2 white onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 carrots cut into chunks
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 150 grams frozen peas
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Toss beef in flour, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, then sear the beef in batches until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the base: In the same pot, sauté onions and garlic for 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Build the stew: Stir in tomato paste, then pour in the beef stock.Add carrots, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Return the beef to the pot.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2–2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are soft.
- Finish with peas: Stir in peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Adjust seasoning with extra salt and pepper.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley if you like. Best served with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes.
Notes
Kid-Friendly Tips:
- Cut everything smaller: Chop the beef, carrots, and potatoes into bite-sized pieces so little ones can easily pick them up with a spoon or fork.
- Milder flavors: Keep seasoning gentle by going light on black pepper and skipping any strong herbs (like too much thyme or bay leaf) if your kids are sensitive to flavor.
- Make it thicker: If your child doesn’t like “soupy” textures, mash a few potatoes into the stew at the end to thicken it up. It’ll be creamier and easier for toddlers to manage.
- Serve with bread: Kids love dipping, so pair the stew with crusty bread or toast soldiers. It makes mealtime more fun.
- Add peas at the end: Some kids don’t like mushy peas, so stir them in right before serving to keep them bright and sweet.
- Turn leftovers into pies: Use the stew as filling for mini puff pastry pies or top with mashed potato for a shepherd’s-pie-style dish — this makes it exciting for kids if they don’t like eating the same meal twice.
- Cool slightly before serving: Stew can stay very hot, so let it sit a little before serving small portions to children.
This hearty One Pot Beef Stew is perfect for busy families, new mums prepping meals before baby, or anyone looking for a comforting, nutritious dinner with minimal effort. It’s easy to make, freezer-friendly, and kid-approved with a few simple tweaks.
Have you tried this recipe? Drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out — and any fun tweaks you added for your little ones!
