Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheese Grits

Don't you agree that brown foods are the tastiest? Anytime I'm at a buffet or potluck, it seems my plate is mostly sporting a brown hue. Of course, typically, brown/beige foods are the worst ones we can eat but oh, so tasty.

They also don't photograph well. As seen above.

This meal was seriously good. Like, we kept snagging bites from the pot good.

It started out as a Pioneer Woman recipe that I kept tweaking due (largely) to laziness but also taste. She calls for a CAN of chipotle peppers in adobo. An 11 ounce can! Um, no thanks ~ I enjoy life with taste buds! So, I cut way back on that. And, it's originally a stovetop only recipe but I'm never home that long before a meal so I went with the crockpot. For the grits, I went back to an old favorite as my base instead of the longer cooking type.

It ended up being a very easy, quick meal that tasted much more complicated than it was. The beef is incredibly tender and flavorful and the grits are the perfect base. This recipe, as written, is not spicy at all. You can easily kick it up a few notches by throwing in a few jalepenos or more chipotle sauce. Or a can of chipotles :)

This recipe as written below makes enough for 8 - I cut it in half for 4 good portions

Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheese Grits
2 Tablespoons canola/vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons butter
3 pounds stew meat or diced chuck roast
2 tablespoons sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
5 cloves minced garlic
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1.5 cups chopped onions
2 cups quick Grits
2 cups chicken (or beef) broth *I used beef, thus the darker color
2 roasted poblano chiles, chopped
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
1-2 cups heavy cream or half and half
2 cups grated cheese (cheddar would be great!)
Salt and pepper, to taste

To make the meat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in large pan over high heat. Brown the stew meat about a minute. Add chipotle pepper sauce, 4 cups of beef broth, 1 cup chopped onion, minced garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Transfer to a crockpot, cover, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender. Once the meat is tender, transfer mixture back to stovetop and simmer until the sauce thickens (10-15 minutes).

*If wanting to make stovetop only: Brown the meat in a large pot, add items, bring to boil then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid is thick. (Watch the meat occasionally and add more beef broth as needed.)

About 20 minutes before dinner, make the grits. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add remaining 1/2 cup chopped onion, chopped garlic, and poblano chiles and cook until soft. Add cream and broth and bring to a simmer. Quickly whisk in grits. Stir constantly until grits thicken, adding more cream and/or broth as needed. Gently fold in cheese, salt, and pepper and let sit a few minutes before serving.

Serve pile of grits with stewed meat over the top.