Slow cooked beef stew meat meets a super simple brown gravy with the addition of hearty pasta in this beef and noodles recipe. A comforting dish that will hit the spot on a chilly day!
Place beef in a bowl or a bag with all-purpose flour and cover completely.
Working in batches, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and brown the meat, half at a time, add 2 more tablespoons of oil and complete the other half. Place browned meat into the crockpot when complete.
Pour final tablespoon of olive oil into the pan and add in onions and garlic, cook until soft (note: you do not need to clean the pan in between).
Season the onions and garlic with the salt, dried thyme, and ground pepper, then transfer to the crockpot.
Add the beef broth and canned cream of mushroom soup to the crockpot and mix to incorporate.
Set on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8. Just before the beef is complete cook the egg noodles following the instructions on the bag. When ready to serve, mix them in the crockpot to incorporate with beef and plate with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
Stewing beef, aka beef stew meat, is typically cubed chunks of chuck roast or round roast. This type of beef is ideal for cooking in the crockpot as it's tough and tenderizes well when slowly cooked. You can also use round steak, round roast, or chuck roast and cut it into cubes yourself. Coating the cubed beef in flour and browning it in a skillet prior to adding it to the crockpot adds a light layer of crust.
Egg noodles are what we reach for first when it comes to serving beef with a noodle, however, you can substitute with your favorite pasta if desired!
Store cooled leftover beef and noodles in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave. The longer the mixture sits in the refrigerator, the more the noodles will soak up the surrounding gravy. Add a splash of beef broth before reheating to help add moisture back.
To freeze - Place the coolest beef and gravy in an air-tight container (without too much space at the top). Freeze for up to 2 months. I would recommend holding off on adding the noodles until you are ready to serve as they are best when fresh. Thaw the beef and gravy mixture in the refrigerator overnight and reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop.