Italian Beef and Bean Stew
Makes 6 servings.
Recipes comes form the Slow Cooker Beef Favorites brochure.
Total preparation and cooking time on High setting:  6 hours and 15 minutes
Total preparation and cooking time on Low setting:  7 hours and 15 minutes
Beans require soaking overnight.

2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package (12 to 14 ounces) dried been soup mix with seasoning packet
1 can (14 to 14 1/2 ounces) ready-to-serve beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto sauce or spread
Directions:
1. Cover beans with water in large bow.  Cover and soak overnight in refrigerator.  Reserve seasoning packet.
2. Drain beans; rinse and pick over to remove any grit or shriveled and broken beans.  Place beans, beef, broth, water and contents of seasoning packet in 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 quart slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH 5 to 6 hours or on LOW 6 to 7 hours, or until beans are tender and beef is fork-tender.  (No stirring is necessary during cooking.)
3. Stir in pest; mix well.  Season with salt and pepper, as desired.  Serve topped with additional pesto, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
409 calories; 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 73 mg cholesterol; 795 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 10.8 g fiber; 38 g protein; 3.6 mg niacin; 0.3 mg vitamin B6; 2.2 mcg vitamin B12; 6.7 mg iron; 18.1 mcg selenium; 5.8 mg zinc.
Tips:
  • Trim visible fat from beef prior to placing it in the slow cooker to reduce fat in the finished dish.
  • Cooking times are guidelines; each slow cooker varies, and power fluctuations may occur.  Follow recipes to determine whether to cook on low or high setting.
  • Do not remove the slow cooker lid during cooking unless the recipe directs you to add ingredients or stir.  The heat loss caused by removing the lid can result in extra cooking time.