Baked to Perfection

So you saw the title of this post and probably thought, "Baked? I thought this month was all about soups and stews."

And you would be correct. But I was, too, when I said "baked." This is an oven-baked stew.

Not your conventional cooking method for such a hearty meal, but delicious nevertheless. My favorite part about this meal? The red wine. It adds depth to the flavor, enhancing the slow-cooked taste. You can substitute water for the wine, but I suggest using the wine as instructed. It really makes this dish.

Oven-Baked Stew

Recipe modified from Lipton Soup Mix
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/3 cups sliced carrots
  
• 1 can (14 to 16 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
  
• 1 envelope Beefy Onion Soup Mix
  
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
  
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In 2 1/2-quart casserole, toss beef with flour then bake uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
   
2. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Add carrots, tomoates, potatoes, and soup mix blended with the red wine.
   
3. Bake covered for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until beef and potatoes are tender.

Modification note: The original recipe called for this dish to be served over hot egg noodles (an 8 oz. package). That's not very stew-like to me, so I omitted the noodles and added the potatoes.