Prep your veggies! I like my carrots big so I chop them on the bigger side, but you should cut them to your liking. Half your potatoes, slice your onion and clean and slice your mushrooms. (If you're prepping the night before I put all of these in a Ziploc bag and add the garlic, salt and pepper, and bay leaf to the bag.

Take your beef stew and pat it dry. Add your olive oil to your pan and heat it to med-high. You're going to quickly sear the meat on all sides. You don't want to cook the meat all the way through. 

Once the meat is seared, drain all liquid from the meat, and add it to the crockpot. Then add the dijon mustard and mix. (If prepping the night before you can mix in a bowl and put in a ziploc bag or just mix the dijon and stew meat in the bag). 

Add all other ingredients but the arrowroot powder. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 on high and go enjoy the day! (If you're prepping the night before, I leave the broth and diced tomatoes in their containers until I put everything in the crock pot in the morning).

This step is optional (I have made both ways). You can add the arrowroot powder and let sit for a few minutes. It helps thicken the broth but it's not crucial to the flavor. Serve up your stew and get ready for some happy bellies!