Savory Instant Pot Beef Stew

Total time: 45 minutes

Servings:  ~ 8 (depends on serving size)

Ingredients:

• 1- 1.5 lbs stew meat
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s tiny white potatoes
• 1 bag of baby carrots
• ½ Acorn Squash
• 2 shallots
• 32 oz. broth (veggie, beef, or chicken)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp flour (any kind including almond meal, coconut flour, whole wheat)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Wash carrots, potatoes, & acorn squash. Cut ½ of the acorn squash into cubes and dice the shallots.
2. Drizzle a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in the bottom of the pot and use the saute feature to cook the stew meat. Add shallots and salt/pepper.
3. Once the meat has browned, add potatoes, carrots, and acorn squash.
4. Add broth, tomato paste, and additional seasoning.
5. Change setting to stew. Put the lid on and seal. Set it to normal pressure and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Once the stew is done, release the steam. Once the steam has been released, open the lid. Switch to saute feature again. 
7. Take ¼ of the liquid out and mix it in a separate bowl with 2 tbsp flour. Stir until completely mixed together. 
8. Put gravy mixture back in the pot and stir until stew becomes thicker.
9. Let cool a bit and serve!

It was honestly that easy! It fed my husband and I all week and then we made it the next week, too. I added acorn squash because that is what I had, you could add any other kind of squash, peas, spinach, etc.