Easy Oven Beef & Vegetable Stew

I remembered a recipe from years and years ago that was a simple oven beef stew.  I have the cookbook and made it all the time.  I didn't use the recipe this time, but used what I had for stew in the house.  I didn't use any potatoes either.  However, I did use the oven directions and grated orange zest which was one of my favorite memories of the recipe.  I also cooked it "low and slow" this time.  I put it in my cast iron, enamel covered dutch oven.  I preheated the oven to 250°F.   I put it in when I left for work and let it go until I got back about 9 hours later.  My son was home so I got him to stir it once during the day and give me a progress update.  My adaptation is below:

• 2 & 1/2 lbs outside round roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 bunch of wild carrots, sliced in diagonal chunks
• 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 lb of cremini mushrooms, sliced in half
• 1 green bell pepper, innards removed and sliced in large chunks
• 2 & 1/2 cups "Better than Bouillon" low sodium beef stock
• 2 cups of no salt tomato suace
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 large sweet onion, very large dice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 yam, peeled and cubed
• 4 roma tomatoes, quartered
• Zest and juice from one navel orange
• Fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano bundle, tied together with twine
• 1 tablespoon no salt "Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute"
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

This is about as easy as it gets to prepare.  I did all the prep the night before and left it in the fridge.  I tried to cut everything about an inch in size.  In a dutch oven, mix the cubed beef with the flour.

Add all the rest of the ingredients.

Oopsie, almost forgot the green pepper!

Cover and bake in oven.  It is fine if you don't stir it, but if you can - once or twice, it doesn't hurt.

I thought this serviceable, to be honest.  I was kind of disappointed.  The flavors were all over the place.  At least the beef was melt in your mouth tender.  We both ate it, but weren't comforted like good stew can make you feel ... HOWEVER, the next day was much, much better.  Everything came together and was what you want a stew to be.  Rich and sustaining.  Stews are always better the second day, and thank goodness for that, particularly in this case... 😉