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Home Recipe Index Soups & Chilis

No-Peek Beef Stew

4.8 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 2/29/24Updated: 4/20/22

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Friends, making No-Peek Beef Stew gets NO EASIER than this recipe. My mother-in-law taught me this one when I first got married, and I’ve been serving it up to big crowds ever since. Make ahead and freeze to have on hand for busy nights or when hosting a big group.

Finished easy beef stew cooked in a casserole dish. this …


 

“I’ve been making this for the past year. This recipe is not only easy but delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing.” – Carolyn

Table of Contents
  • Why You’ll Love this Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make No Peek Stew
  • How to Freeze Beef Stew
  • What to Serve with No Peek Beef Stew
  • FAQs
  • More Hearty Soup Recipes
  • No-Peek Stew Recipe

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

  • It’s a dump-and-go meal. Simply dump everything in the casserole dish that it bakes in, stir it up, and bake. Here are more dump and go meals if you want ideas.
  • It only uses ONE dish.
  • This recipe makes 6-8 servings easily, so it’s great for a large family or for serving a crowd. We love big batch meals!
  • No-Peek Stew can easily be made ahead of time and frozen for later. Freezer meals are the bomb.
Ladle of easy beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, and stew meat.

Ingredients

We took some shortcuts in this recipe so you can get dinner on the table with very little effort. If you’d like to make a whole foods version, try our Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe that’s still pretty darn simple to put together.

Here are the basics:

  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Stew Meat (We get ours from ButcherBox)
  • Green Beans
  • Tomato Soup
  • Cream of Mushroom Soup
Uncooked beef stew ingredients in a casserole dish with stew meat, onions, carrots, green beans, and cream of mushroom soup.

How to Make No Peek Stew

Here is a quick visual overview of where we are going.

Uncooked Beef Stew in a casserole dish with stew meat, onions, carrots, green beans
Uncooked Beef Stew in a casserole dish with stew meat, onions, carrots, green beans, and cream of mushroom soup
Easy beef stew in a casserole dish covered in foil and ready to be frozen.
Finished easy beef stew cooked in a casserole dish.

How to Freeze Beef Stew

Our easy No-Peek Stew can easily be made ahead of time and frozen for later.

To Freeze: Follow Steps 2-3, except cover tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and foil, squeezing out any excess air. Freeze.

To Prepare from Frozen: Thaw the casserole in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and cover tightly with one layer of foil. Bake as directed in Step 4 (or use the slow cooker method).

Easy beef stew in a casserole dish covered in foil and ready to be frozen.

What to Serve with No Peek Beef Stew

Here are some side dish ideas that would pair deliciously with this beef stew:

  • Sweet Potato Biscuits
  • Mandarain Orange Salad
  • Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
  • Double Chocolate Brownies or Cheesecake Brownies for dessert!
Bowls of easy beef stew with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, and stew meat in it. On a wooden table.

FAQs

Why is it called No-Peek Stew?

“No-peek stew” is a name given to this type of stew where the cooking instructions advise against lifting the lid or peeking during the cooking process. This could is to ensure that the flavors and moisture are retained, creating a more flavorful and tender result.

Do you have a recommendation for the brand of Soups that you use? I am assuming it is not condensed soup.

I just always buy what I can find in the health food section to avoid additives and preservatives. My mother-in-law always used condensed canned soup (I got the recipe from her), but I’ve used non-condensed and it works either way honestly. It’s kind of hard to mess this recipe up.

Can I make No Peek Stew in the Crockpot?

Yes, this recipe works well in the Crockpot. Stir together all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the lid on and set to LOW for 8-10 hours.

More Hearty Soup Recipes

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See the all

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Finished easy beef stew cooked in a casserole dish.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 15 reviews

No-Peek Stew Recipe

Making beef stew doesn’t get easier than this recipe! Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning or in oven around lunch time, DO NOT PEEK, and you’ll end up with a hearty and tasty dinner for a crowd.

Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 5 hoursTotal: 5 hours 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of beef stew meat (or chuck roast, trimmed and cut-up in about 1-inch chunks)
  • 2–3 baking potatoes, peeled and cut up into about 1-inch chunks
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and cut up into about 1-inch chunks
  • 1 large onion, cut up into about 1-inch chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more to your preference
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of green beans, liquid and all
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato soup (preferably organic)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup (preferably organic)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

Oven Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 275° F.
  2. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Add stew meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions to the casserole dish. Season with the pepper and gently stir together.
  3. Dump the can of green beans, liquid and all, over the top of meat and vegetables. Then, pour the tomato soup and cream of mushroom soup over the top. Gently combine with a spoon if you want, but not necessary. Tightly cover with foil.
  4. Place casserole dish on a cookie sheet with sides, in case of overflow. Bake for 5 hours. Don’t peek!

Slow Cooker Method: Stir together all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the lid on and set to LOW for 8-10 hours. (Do not peek!)

Freeze For Later:

Option 1 (Uncooked): Follow Steps 2-3, except cover tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and foil, squeezing out any excess air. Freeze.

Option 2 (Fully Cooked): Fully cook and cool the stew (do not leave outside of refrigerator or freezer more than 2 hours!). Place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Try to remove as much air as possible and seal and/or wrap it well before placing in the freezer.

Prepare From Frozen:

Option 1 (Uncooked): Thaw the casserole in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and cover tightly with one layer of foil. Bake as directed in Step 4 (or use the slow cooker method).

Option 2 (Fully Cooked): To reheat, thaw for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator (preferred method) or in the microwave using the defrost setting. Then, warm over low heat on the stove or in the slow cooker, gently stirring occasionally until warmed through.


Notes/Tips

  • We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms.
  • This recipe does include some canned, pre-made items, which we normally avoid. Do your best to find organic, BPA-free options. Read labels and find the canned items with the most recognizable and fewest ingredients.
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Baked

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Carolyn says

    Posted on 1/14/25 at 8:46 am

    I have tried many different stew recipes, but this is my best one yet. Easy, authentic stew flavor. Definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/14/25 at 9:42 am

      So glad you enjoyed this recipe Carolyn. Thanks for leaving a review!

      Reply
  2. Alissa says

    Posted on 11/13/24 at 6:30 pm

    This was so delicious! My house smelled amazing after it cooked in the oven all afternoon. I love how few steps and ingredients it called for. YUM!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 11/14/24 at 9:29 am

      Glad you loved this recipe Alissa! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

      Reply
  3. Lois Fox says

    Posted on 4/16/24 at 7:42 pm

    Delicious but I didn’t put the green beans in. I did add extra carrots.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 4/17/24 at 6:54 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and let us know what changes you made Lois!

      Reply
  4. Cheryl says

    Posted on 3/31/24 at 7:18 pm

    This stew is so yummy! My family loved it. My husband isn’t much of a stew fan but he loved this! It worked really well as a freezer recipe. It was super easy to fit into my cooking day! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 4/1/24 at 9:37 am

      Hi Cheryl. Love to hear when recipes win over people that aren’t generally fans of something. Glad you found a winner for your family. Thanks for leaving a review!

      Reply
  5. Harriet Mola says

    Posted on 1/31/24 at 12:40 pm

    Hi. Do you have a recommendation for the brand of Soups that you use? I am assuming it is not condensed soup.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 1/31/24 at 4:15 pm

      I just always buy what I can find in the health food section to avoid additives and preservatives. My mother-in-law always used condensed canned soup (I got the recipe from her), but I’ve used non-condensed and it works either way honestly. It’s kind of hard to mess this recipe up.

      Reply
  6. Carolyn Malizia says

    Posted on 1/21/24 at 11:24 am

    I’ve been making this for the past year. This recipe is not only easy but delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/21/24 at 5:56 pm

      Hi Carolyn. So glad you enjoy this. Thanks for leaving a review!

      Reply
  7. Bethany says

    Posted on 11/17/23 at 11:08 am

    Could this be made in a cast iron dutch oven instead?

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 11/19/23 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Bethany! This should work if the Dutch oven is big enough. Not sure if that will affect the cook time, though, since we haven’t tested it. Let us know how it turns out if you do give it a try!

      Reply
  8. Barry says

    Posted on 4/18/23 at 5:45 am

    Love it

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 4/18/23 at 10:43 am

      Thanks Barry!

      Reply
  9. Julia says

    Posted on 1/25/23 at 8:04 pm

    In the crock pot should I add any water or broth before cooking?

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:53 am

      Hi Julia. You shouldn’t need any more liquid than what is in the green beans and the two soups.

      Reply
  10. Molly says

    Posted on 1/22/23 at 4:59 pm

    We have made this many times over. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it put together in time for the 5 hours oven cook, so we improvised.
    We made the stew in our 6 qt. Instant Pot. The only difference we had to make is to add 1 cup of beef broth. It came out super tender and just as delicious. Cooked on Manual 30 mins, natural release 15 minutes and served!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/22/23 at 8:23 pm

      Hi Molly. Thank you so much for letting others know how you made this in the instant pot. Sounds great!

      Reply
  11. Rita Almy says

    Posted on 12/15/22 at 6:23 pm

    We are vegetarian, so I substituted Gardein beef less tips for the “meat”. It was such a delicious dinner on this cold snowy night! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 12/16/22 at 10:58 am

      So glad that substitution worked well for you Rita. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and let others know of your changes!

      Reply
  12. Dee says

    Posted on 7/16/22 at 9:28 pm

    I made this tonight. It was outstanding. I will definitely make it again.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 7/17/22 at 2:33 pm

      My mother-in-law would love knowing that. This recipe is one I learned from her 20+ years ago. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Mary says

    Posted on 3/28/22 at 8:48 pm

    Can I substitute something else for the mushroom soup? If so, what else can I use and the amount.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 3/28/22 at 9:52 pm

      I haven’t tested anything else, but a can of cream of celery would probably work well. Or is there a particular ingredient you are trying to avoid?

      Or use our Cream of Chicken soup instead: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/

      Reply
  14. Dan Klein says

    Posted on 1/12/22 at 11:03 am

    This recipe sounds so good. Question: what kind of soups do you use? Fully constituted or condensed (like Campbell)?

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 1/12/22 at 1:01 pm

      Good question. My mother-in-law (who gave me this recipe) always used condensed Campbell’s soup but I found an organic condensed soup that I like in the health food section from Pacific Foods that’s healthier. Here’s a link to show you what it looks like: https://www.pacificfoods.com/our-products/condensed-soups/organic-cream-of-mushroom-condensed-soup/

      Reply
      • Dan says

        Posted on 1/13/22 at 9:26 am

        Thanks, I will look for that soup or something similar. The main question, which you answered, is whether to use condensed soups or not. Looking forward to making your recipe!

      • Dan says

        Posted on 1/14/22 at 11:15 am

        Rachel, we made your recipe yesterday and enjoyed a portion of it for dinner last night. It was wonderful, delicious. The meat was amazingly tender. Like your mother-in-law, we ended up using Campbell’s condensed soups. Because the can size is less than the 15 ounces specified in your recipe, we added about a half of an additional can of the tomato soup, It was just right! Thanks again.

      • Rachel Tiemeyer says

        Posted on 1/15/22 at 2:03 pm

        Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Dan. So glad it worked out well for you.

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