Cola Beef Stew

I have heard of other people cooking with Cola before, but I have never tried it myself. Until now. When I told my family that I was going to be making a recipe using Cola, I got a variety of strange looks. I assured them that it would be tasty and that “lots of people do it!”.  Did they like my Cola Beef Stew? We will find out below!

I love making stew and stew type dishes, such as my Southern Biscuit Chicken & Dumplings, as they really are so easy, since they can be started ahead of time. I don’t have to worry about dinner later in the day when I am tired.

COLA BEEF STEW

INGREDIENTS
1 3lb. beef chuck roast, excess fat trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. fingerling potatoes or small gold potatoes
2 carrots, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 12 oz. can of your favorite cola
2 bullion cubes
1/2 cup Burgundy wine
1 1/2 cups water
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
Chopped parsley for garnish

PREPARATION
Sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches, and cook, turning often until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes).

Transfer to a plate. Add the carrots, and onion to the Dutch oven or pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender (8-10 minutes). Return the beef to the Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, cola, water, garlic, paprika, oregano, burgundy, and bullion cubes and bring to a boil.

Simmer on low/medium for about 2 hours until meat is fork tender.

What did my family think about my Cola Beef Stew? Just as I suspected, they really liked it! I served it with garlic bread and voila – a quick, simple and tasty meal.

Have you ever made Cola Beef Stew? What other dishes have you made with cola? I would love to hear about them!