Easy Beef Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs cubed beef stew meat
5 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups baby carrots
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup diced onion
1 (10 ounce) can beef gravy
3 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock would work too)
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons thyme
salt
pepper

Preparation

make sure all the cubes of beef are cut down and that they are all the same size.
Brown the meat in a deep pot - I used a 4.5 qt dutch oven.
After all meat is browned add onion and garlic and saute them with the beef for about 5 minutes.
Then add the gravy and chicken stock to the pot. You may use more of less chicken stock depending on the consistency you like.
Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
Turn the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes has past, add the diced potatoes and put the lid on and simmer for 1 hour. You can add more broth if the stew is too thick.
At 1 hour and 45 minutes of cooking time, add the baby carrots. Put the lid back on and simmer for another 30 minutes.
After 2 hours and 15 minutes, take out the bay leaves and serve with some fluffy rice.