In a large skillet, sear your beef cubes in olive oil over medium-high heat. You are not cooking the beef, you just want the outside browned to seal in flavor.
Remove the seared beef from the stove top and transfer them to a 6-8 quart crockpot.
Add Butternut squash, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, celery, baby red potatoes, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.
In a large bowl whisk the cornstarch with the beef broth, pour this over the ingredients in the crockpot and place the thyme springs on top. Do not mix in your thyme sprigs because you will be removing them before serving.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Remove thyme sprigs. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
You can use fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned. It will be about two medium-sized tomatoes.
This crockpot butternut beef stew can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen after cooking, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.