Beef & Barley Stew in your Crockpot

   Set it and forget it - a meal that develops a rich flavorful stew, that can satisfy even the hungriest folks.  Enjoy! Diane 

Beef & Barley Stew

Ingredients: 
1.50 lbs flat iron or stew beef, cubed
3 cups beef broth*
((you can use home canned beef broth)) 
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 14.0oz. can diced tomatoes*
((I use a pint of my home canned diced tomatoes)) 
3 large carrots, chopped 1/2” slices
3 large celery ribs, chopped 1/2” slices
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 large russet potato: peeled, diced*
((I use 1 pint of my sliced, home canned potatoes)) 

Directions: 
     Lightly pepper the beef and brown in a skillet on the stove top. Let cool while you add all the other ingredients to the cooker. *You can skip this step and add beef without browning (but, a little depth of flavor will be lost)
     Combine all ingredients together into crockpot or slow-cooker, stir gently and set on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If I am going to be around the house while this is cooking, I personally like to start my CrockPot for an hour on High and then move to Low the remainder of cook time.