Scared to get booed down for this, but this is what I do if I don't have beef stock. Sauté some onions and/or shallots in a dutch oven. I throw some butter in with the oil. Then add mushrooms (I think white button / crimini have the best flavor for the $). Cook until soft. Set aside. Then in same pot I add 1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground beef. Just as a big blob (like a huge meatball except maybe a little flattened out in one direction so more like a thick ground beef pancake.) Let this REALLY brown. You need some charred bits for flavor. Flip it over and let it brown on the other side. (You cook as a big blob because if you break it up you'll get so much fat rendering out that you won't be able to get good browning with all the liquid in the pot.) Then add a half bottle of red wine and equal amount of water. Chop up the mea with a spatula.. Liquid should cover, if not add more. Bring to a boil and then reduce to just under a simmer and cook for a couple hours. Pour it all through a strainer and press to get all the juices out. Return to stove and add salt and splashes of red wine vinegar and worcestershire sauce to try to spoof a little more complexity than is really in there. 

I think you can get something better (although, yes, different) than boxed beef broth this way and it's pretty quick / easy. You just need it to be beefy (+ umami from the mushrooms and worcestershire) because you can do aromatic things in the actual dish.

Yes I just throw away the ground beef. I know! Still, those boxes are expensive so it's not so so crazy. You have a dog so maybe could repurpose that way.