Hearty Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings

This was a very tasty dinner we had the other night. I had some stew beef to use up but pretty much all of the normal beef stew recipes I make are crock pot so I searched for something quicker and found this one. It was delicious, hearty, comforting, and cozy. Perfect for the cooler weather! I really liked the addition of the dumplings - I've never done the in beef stew before and it worked really well with the rest of the ingredients. My husband and son both liked this one as well - I told my husband I think I like this one the best of all the beef stews I've made and he nodded his agreement... at least I think that's what it was - his mouth was full. :)

Hearty Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings adapted from ambikins on AllRecipes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
4 cups water (more as needed)
2 (.85 ounce) packages dry brown gravy mix (you can sub just about any gravy mix here - I used mushroom and chicken)
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced into bite sized chunks
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized chunks
2 4-oz cans mushrooms, drained

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick soup pot  over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add diced onion and stew beef, season with garlic salt, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir occasionally until meat is browned (about 10 minutes).
2. Add 4 cups of water (or use beef broth if preferred for additional flavor). Cover with a lid and when the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook for an hour, stirring occasionally so the meat and onion do not stick. If your water reduces too much, add more as needed.
3. Combine the gravy packets with 1/2 cup cold water (or more if your stew mixture needs it) and whisk together. Add the gravy mixture along with the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. Cover, return to a low simmer, and cook for 20 - 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and meat is getting tender (simmer longer if the meat needs more time to get to the tenderness you prefer). Stir occasionally to prevent burning, and add additional liquid if needed to keep meat and vegetables covered in liquid. Taste test and adjust seasonings if needed at this point.
4. To make dumplings: mix the flour, baking powder, garlic salt, basil and parsley in a medium bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks crumbly. Pour in the milk, and lightly stir the mixture just until it combines to form a wet dough. 
5. Drop the dumplings by heaping tablespoons onto the stew in the pot, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Do not peek until the time is up. Dumplings should appear moist, be tender, and cooked through in the middle.