Jamie Oliver has a really nice recipe for stew with newcastle brown ale in.  The alcohol boils away and you have a very mild taste of beer in the gravy.  It was really nice and I served them in oversized yorkshire puds.

oh yeah,and if u dont put mash with it,serve with lots of thick crusty bread smothered in butter to mop up the gravy(or is that just a craving?lol).........mmmmmmmm i want some now lol

Hi.  I'm just a lurker (DIA0 and I cheat with casseroles.  i use the Colemans' packets!  Just as good, add mushrooms, onions & the required meat & pop in the oven for 2 hours.

this is a gorg recipie i use form my mary berry cookbook :

3tbs cooking oil

1kg braising steak

500g carrots

250g turnips

250g poarsnips

2oins sliced

1 large leek

1tbsp plain flour

600ml beef stock

1 400g can chopped tomatos

dumpling mix that you can buy in a bag like dry and make up like it says on the back

heat oil add beef in batches and cook over high heat untilkl browned,then lift out beef,add chopped carrots,turnmips,parsnops,leek and oinion and cook over high heat stiring occasionaly for 5 mins untill veg is softened.add flour and cook stiring for 1 min,add stock and tomatoes salt and pepper and bring to the boil,return meat to casserole and cover and cook in preheated oven at 160c gas3 for 2 hours,

place dumplins on top of the meat increase the temperature to 190c gas 5 and cook for further 20-25 mins until dumplins are firm. i like em to have a crunchy top so i uncover them to cook the dumplins but if you like them all light and fluffy leave the cover on whilst cooking the dumplins

god what a mission to copy this form my book ha ha!

hope you like it x

thanx for the tips any more ideas or recipies r welcome and very much appreciated

ps,i dont put potato in but u can.i tend to cook potatos and mash them to have with it.

hey,if u dont have a slow cooker...this is what i do.(for a family of 3 adults,1 toddler)

get some braising steak(its cheaper but tastes just as good) and cube it.

get two carrots,2parsnips,half an onion,half a swede,mushrooms,a leek and any other veg u want to add....chop them into chunks.

put them all in an oven proof dish,and fill with hot gravy,so that everything is covered.cover with tin foil.

place into the oven at 160 celsius for an hour and a half.then turn up to about 200 degrees for 45mins to heat it through.hth xx

I have a slow cooker and bung it all in at 8am b4 i go work and its cooked to perfection when i get home.

If doing in a normal over low heat (150 degree) for about 3-4 hours until meat very tender.

You can put anything in from mushrooms, onion carrotts, swede, pots, leeks ect

my mom always used to put small (tinned) potatoes, peas, carrots, stewin steak, parsnips and things like that. have no idea of how long to cook it though, sorry

ive always wanted to but neva had them as a kid so never know how could sum1 pls help with reguards to ingredients wat are they when to add them in etc and cooking time

thanx