I Don't Know What I Want to Be Beef with Creamed Potatoes

As a take off of my last post I thought it was only fitting to make this beef dish which is also suffering an identity crisis. It's kind of beef stew meets beef bourguignon. The whole thing slow cooks until it's divinely, fall apart tender & then is served over sweet & decadently creamy cream cheese mashed potatoes. (can you tell I'm hungry while typing this?)

Beef Ingredients:
2 lbs stew beef
1/2 bag baby carrots
1 package of whole button mushrooms
1 small sweet onion (chopped into large pieces)
3 garlic cloves (peeled)
1/4 cu or so of good red wine
1 cu flour
1/2 tbs or so of rosemary or thyme (or maybe both? I've made it with either one and they were both good)
2 bay leaves

In the morning after you've gotten all butts changed & mouths fed go ahead and get this sucker going. In a bowl heavily add salt & pepper to the flour, toss stew beef in flour, shake off excess & brown the beef in a skillet over med-hi heat with EVOO. (You'll probably have to do this in a couple of batches, also don't overcook the beef or it will be tough. You're just browning the outside, it will mostly cook in the crock-pot) Set aside cooked beef & with pan still over medium heat add your red wine. Scrap off any brown bits off the bottom of the pan while the wine sizzles, those bits are the super yummy, flavorful stuff. By the time you're done scraping the wine should have reduced by at least 1/2. Place beef in crock pot along with all of the other ingredients. Pour red wine mixture over top, season with salt & pepper, mix well & cook on low heat until beef falls apart. (around 6-8 hrs, stir once or twice during the day) Remove bay leaves before serving.

Creamiest Mashed Potatoes:
30 min before dinner boil 6 medium potatoes that have been peeled & quartered. (I used yellow potatoes) Boil until fork tender. Strain & return to pot. With a handheld mixer blend potatoes with 1/2 bar of cream cheese, season to taste with salt & pepper (this recipe is easily adjustable, just add more cream cheese to more potatoes...duh, I know.)

Serve beef & veggies over potatoes. Yummm...