A couple days ago, my wife mentioned she was in the mood for beef stew and, since it is starting to get a bit colder out (plus it’s been raining), I was OK with that dinner choice. However, as usual, we didn’t have all of the ingredients so I ended up running to the grocery store.
One of my wife’s hobbies (a very expensive hobby) is collecting cookbooks and, when I went to the store, I had a list of ingredients for a recipe she found in one of those and I had every intention of following that list. However, while looking for one of the ingredients (browning sauce); I came across a packet of McCormick Beef Stew Seasoning. This was not on the list but, at a little under $3, I realized it would be cheaper than buying the seasonings on her list and, more importantly, there was a recipe on the back that looked to be much easier to follow and using ingredients (other than stew meat) that we already had. So, after getting my wife’s OK via a text, I picked it up.
When I bought this, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from it. I didn’t know if the stew made from this seasoning pouch/recipe would be as good as something made with a bunch of separate ingredients or if it would be like so many other products we’ve tried and not live up to expectations. But, after trying this, I have to admit it was much better than I thought it was going to be.
First of all, the recipe on the back of the seasoning was very easy to follow; it was basically browning the meat, starting the stew and adding fresh vegetables later. My wife started it while I was still at work and had most of the prep work done by the time I got home.
As far as taste goes, I have to say I was impressed. As I told my wife, I was half expecting the stew to be too salty since we were relying on a pre-mixed seasoning package rather than seasoning it to taste. However, it had just the right amount of flavor. It was well seasoned without being too salty or spicy and, overall, I have to say the stew turned out as well as any made from a recipe out of a cookbook.
If you are in the mood for beef stew, I recommend looking for this seasoning pouch and following the recipe on the back.