On a cold winter’s night, this is a great dish to warm you up.  Although the stew looks like it has too much liquid when done, adding mozzarella thickens it up nicely.

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1 inch pieces

Vegetable oil

16 ounce can tomatoes, cut up (do not drain)

1 cup sliced onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup uncooked mostaccioli

Shredded mozzarella 

In a skillet brown half of the meat at a time in hot oil. Drain.

In crockery cooker, place undrained tomatoes, onion, carrot, and celery.  Place meat on top of vegetables.  Combine water, salt, paprika, chili powder, and pepper mixing well.  Pour over the meat.  Cover and cook on high heat setting for 4 hours in small crock pot or 3 hours in a large one.  Cook mostaccioli according to the package instructions.  Drain well and stir into stew mixture.  At the dinner table, pass around mozzarella to sprinkle on top. 

Next Month:  Polynesian Chicken