Snow is in the forecast, the air is cooler, and it’s still dark at 7:00am. That means it’s time for slowcooker meals that fill the house with delicious aromas and give you that warm, cozy feeling. Unless you have a fireplace, in which case I would suggest using that too, because fireplaces are awesome.

I used to make this beef stew ALL the time. For nearly a decade, I only made 2 things in the crock pot: corned beef (from the meat dept, in the package with the spices) and this beef stew. Except I used the absolutely not paleo version of the recipe, which is also known as the “original” recipe. Way back in the day when we were first married (seriously, how has it been a decade already?!), we received a cookbook compiled by a woman that my husband had known on his mission. That’s where the “original” recipe for this beef stew came from.

It was only recently, after purchasing some stew meat from the Primal Guys, that I remembered this recipe and decided to paleoize it. I don’t even know it that’s a word, but I don’t really care. Turns out, the only real changes I needed to make were to sub the white potatoes for sweet potatoes and leave out the cornstarch (not really needed at all). I also think that using parsnips in place of the sweet potatoes would be good, but I haven’t done that yet because I keep forgetting to buy parsnips. I always forget something (or 10 things).

Something to note, this recipe doesn’t make as much as we’re used to eating around here, so for our family of 5 that likes crockpot leftovers, I double it. It barely feeds the 5 of us if I don’t.