Tasty Tuesday - Baked Beef Stew with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Hello! I trust your winter is faring well, wherever life finds you. I live in the south where we pray for snow but we're lucky if we see ice. On these cooler days, though, even we like to have a hot meal at the end of the day. The recipe I'm sharing today, Baked Beef Stew with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits, is a family favorite. I hope it'll be yours, too.

I originally found this recipe through the magazine Taste of Home, then tweaked it to make it my own. I love making things like casseroles and stews because there is that freedom to add or subtract the ingredients to meet your own desires. Not to mention the throw-everything-into-one-dish-and-voila aspect of the dinner.

Ingredients for Baked Beef Stew

1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds stew meat, cubed
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
1 can mushrooms, drained (or 2 cups fresh, cut into chunks)
  *if you don't like mushrooms, you can substitute 2 slices of bread, cubed

Directions for Baked Beef Stew

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes with their juice, water, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour into a well buttered casserole dish (13x9 works well). Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 2 hours.

About ten minutes before the stew is to come out of the oven, start making the biscuits:

Ingredients for Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
(optional: 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions for Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with cooking spray. Set to the side.
In a bowl, cut the shortening into the flour.
Mix in the shredded cheese (and parsley if desired).
Add the buttermilk and mix until the flour is wet. Important, do not over-mix. The batter will be lumpy and slightly sticky.
Drop by large tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet, about 1 to 2 inches apart. You will yield 12 to 15 biscuits, depending on the size you drop.
Bake in a 450 degree oven, 7 to 10 minutes.
While the biscuits are baking, melt the 1/4 cup butter with the garlic powder.
As soon as the tops of the biscuits begin to look golden, remove from the oven. Do not over-bake.
Brush the biscuits thoroughly with the melted butter and garlic mixture.

Dish it all up and enjoy -- Yum! Just putting this recipe together for you made me hungry. I think I'll have to put this on our dinner table this week.

Oh, and one last important note, in the time it takes to cook this delicious meal, you can pick up and read my upcoming release -- Soul Debt: Party Girl -- arriving at Changeling Press this Thursday.

Bon appetit!
~Ayla
http://www.aylaruse.com