This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias , Inc. and Sam’s Club. All opinions are mine alone.
I think one thing that you all have learned about me by now is that I like to feed my family well, but I like to do so without breaking the bank. One way that I ensure that we stay within our grocery budget and save money too each month is by using our Sam's Club membership. :)
Our annual Sam's Club membership cost has paid for itself over and over already. Just about every month we receive savings fliers in the mail from our local Sam's Club. I pour over these before our next trip and make note of all the Instant Savings for Sam's Club members, and start planning out our meals for the upcoming month...
My favorite way to save money on groceries is by purchasing almost all of our meat from Sam's Wholesale Club. The prices really cannot be beat! I have checked out the meat departments at some of the local grocery stores here and cringe when I see the price for a 1-2 pound package of meat. A girlfriend of mine was also complaining about the same thing when I brought her along with me on my most recent shopping trip to Sam's Club. She quickly learned why it is a pretty much a no-brainer for me to shop at Sam's Club for all my family's meats...
I know that some of you all may be questioning the why a family of four would need such large packages of meat. Obviously, we are not going to eat 4 or 5 pounds of ground beef in a week. But we don't need to. After each shopping trip to Sam's Club, I come home and divide out all the bulk packages of meat we have bought into smaller 1 pound freezer packs perfect for a family dinner. Then off into the freezer they go until I need them for a meal. :)
I do this with ground beef, pork chops, steaks, and cubed beef.
Recently, I snagged a pack of fresh cubed beef at a great price at Sam's Club and knew that a flavorful and hearty beef stew was in order, like this Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef Stew...
Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef Stew
by
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 hours
Ingredients (6-8 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs of beef stew meat, cubed
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 lb of carrots, peeled & cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
- 8oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar (for the balsamic reduction)
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
For the balsamic reduction
Pour the 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Bring the vinegar to a boil. Turn down the heat so that boil reduces to a simmer. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by at least half- about 1/4 cup. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
While the balsamic reduction is cooling, place the cubed stew meat in a large bowl. Add the flour, salt, pepper, & paprika to the meat and toss to coat well. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and brown the beef cubes.
Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic to the slow cooker. Dump in the browned meat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, tomato sauce, beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, & balsamic reduction. Pour over the veggies and beef in the slow cooker.
Give it a stir, and then drop in the 2 bay leaves.
Cook on Low for 5-6 hours.
Fish out the 2 bay leaves before serving.
Ladle into bowls and serve with warm bread.
Enjoy!
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The cubed beef at Sam's Club usually comes in packages large enough for two family dinners. I can use one in this flavorful, comforting beef stew and the other in another slow cooker family favorite, my Slow Cooker Secret Ingredient Beef Stroganoff.
Affordable, fresh cuts of meat are not the only reason that we shop at and love our Sam's Wholesale Club. It is also my go-to for essential non-perishables like toilet paper and dishwasher detergent, and for pet essentials for our dog and two cats. Not to mention the fact that we also love Sam's Club for their electronics department. In fact, the camera that shot the very photos of this delicious Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef Stew was bought at my local Sam's Club. ;)
Already a member? How do you save money with your Sam's Club membership?
Not a member yet? How will you save money first when you sign up for one? ;)
For membership information and to start saving now at your local Sam's Club, CLICK HERE. #TrySamsClub
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