Pumpkin Harvest Beef Stew

If you love the smells and tastes of fall, this is for you. It smells amazing while cooking and tastes even better.

From Taste of Home

Ingredients:
~1 tbsp canola oil
~1 and 1/2 lbs. beef top round steak (I used bottom round because it was on sale - feel free to substitute any type of beef steak), cut into 1 inch cubes
~1 and 1/2 cups peeled pie pumpkin or sweet potatoes, cubed
~6 red potatoes, cubed (I left the skin on, but you can peel if you like)
~1 cup cubed acorn squash (about half of a medium-sized squash)
~1 medium onion, chopped
~1 32 oz. box beef stock
~1 can (14 and 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
~2 bay leaves (I recommend bundling them in some cheesecloth if you have it - they started to disintegrate and it was hard to find all of the small pieces when the time came to pull them out)
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
~1/2 tsp. chili powder
~1/2 tsp. pepper
~1/4 tsp. ground allspice
~1/2 tsp. ground cloves
~1/4 cup water
~3 tbs. all-purpose flour

1. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Brown beef in batches and remove with a slotted spoon to slow-cooker.
2. Add pumpkin/sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, and onion. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and seasonings.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
4. Remove bay leaves. In a small bowl, combine flour and water and whisk until smooth. Stir mixture into stew; cover and cook on high for 30 minutes until stew is thickened.