Slow Cooked Italian Beef and Pesto Stew

How to make Slow Cooked Italian Beef and Pesto Stew Recipe - Breaking out the slow cooker makes me so happy. I love preparing slowcooker meals either the night before I plan on serving them or the morning of. There is something special about coming home for the day or waking up in the morning to smells of your slow-cooked meal filling the air. Have the kids help measure all of the vegetables to add to the pot. Add a big spoonful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to each bowl before serving along with thick crusty bread for dipping.

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound beef stew meat
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups sliced carrot
1 cup diced celery
1 1⁄2 cups finely chopped white onion
4 cloves garlic
32 ounces beef broth
1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Heat a slow cooker on the high setting.

2. Add the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the pepper to a large zip-top plastic bag and shake the bag to combine. Add the stew meat and shake the bag to coat the beef.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Shake the excess flour from the stew meat, then add to the pot. Cook until a nice brown crust forms on each side, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, pesto, and oregano, and the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Transfer the stew to the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours. Top each bowl with a spoonful of Parmesan