Description
This hearty French Onion Stew features tender, slow-cooked beef chuck roast combined with caramelized onions, savory herbs, and spiral pasta, all topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese. Perfect for a comforting family meal, this stew is rich in flavor thanks to the searing and slow cooking process that allows the beef and onions to develop deep, complex flavors.
Ingredients
Meat
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 5 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Others
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Sear the roast: Sprinkle the boneless beef chuck roast with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides to create flavorful browned surfaces and fond. Remove the seared roast and place it in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Caramelize the onions: Add the thinly sliced onions along with the remaining salt and pepper to the same Dutch oven. Cook and stir for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking the onions for 20 to 25 minutes more, stirring every 5 minutes until they turn golden brown. Add minced garlic and maple syrup, stirring and cooking for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the onions, then add beef broth while stirring to loosen the browned bits. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker over the roast.
- Slow-cook the ingredients: Add the minced fresh rosemary and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for about 6 hours until the beef is tender. Remove the beef and shred it with two forks, then return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and mix well.
- Add the noodles and cheese: Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the uncooked spiral pasta to the slow cooker and stir to coat it in the flavorful sauce. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and continue cooking for another 20 to 25 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and the cheese has melted.
Notes
- Searing the beef before slow cooking enhances the depth of flavor through the Maillard reaction and adds delicious browned bits called fond.
- Caramelizing onions slowly develops their natural sweetness and rich flavor, critical for an authentic French onion taste.
- Use fresh rosemary for a more vibrant herb flavor; dried rosemary can be used if fresh is unavailable but reduce the quantity slightly.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, you can add an additional tablespoon of flour when caramelizing onions or cook the noodles separately and add to the stew at the end.
- Leftover stew can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
- Category: Stew
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: French-inspired
