Crockpot Beef Stew

I've been meaning to make this for ages. Mainly because I wanted to see how it would taste with lavender. Monday Night Football seemed appropriate (GO PACK!), so I whipped this up quick in the morning. I'd forgotten to add garlic to the roast itself, so I added it to the gravy. Turned out fantastic! The Spouse said it was better than his mom's (sorry Mom).

Crockpot Beef Stew

1 lb top round roast
3 medium potatoes, roughly diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 small bag baby carrots
1/2 package green beans
1 pkg onion dip mix
beef broth (about 2 cups)
fresh ground pepper
lavender sea salt

Gravy:
broth from crockpot
corn starch
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Coarsely chop up round roast into 1" to 1 1/2" chunks. Sautee in a pan until lightly browned. Drain and set aside. Combine beef broth and onion dip mix.

Layer in crock pot onions, potatoes, carrots, green beans and beef. Add pepper and salt to taste (I used a healthy dose of each). Pour broth mixture over beef and veggies. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Separate beef and veggies from broth and set aside. Place broth in fat separator and then pour into skillet. Warm over medium-high heat. Meanwhile combine 1/4 cup COLD water with 2 tbsp corn starch. Add corn starch mixture to warmed broth and season to taste. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil until you reach your desired thickness (about 1 minute). Pour gravy over stew, stir and serve.

Wine pairing: HRM Rex Goliath Central Coast Shiraz