Slow Cooked Beef Casserole With Cheesy Herb Dumplings - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 None large onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 (14 oz can) whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 oz button mushrooms, halved
1 cup self-raising flour
3 tbsp cold butter, chopped finely
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the beef, in batches, until browned. Transfer to a 4.5-quart slow cooker.
Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until the onion softens. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, stock, wine and thyme to the pan and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and add the mushrooms.
Cook, covered, on low, for 7 hours. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, place the flour in a medium bowl and rub in the butter. Add half of the parsley and half of the cheese and stir to combine. Stir in enough buttermilk to make a soft, sticky dough. Next, drop rounded tablespoons of the dumpling mixture, 1/2 inch apart, on top of the casserole, then scatter with the remaining cheese. Cook, covered, for 1 hour or until dumplings are cooked through. Scatter with remaining parsley to serve.