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Hearty Slow Cooker Poor Mans Stew: Easy Budget Dinner

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A thick, hearty stew made with simple, budget-friendly ingredients like ground beef, potatoes, carrots, and frozen vegetables, all cooked low and slow in a crockpot for a comforting meal that practically makes itself.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20 works best)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, green beans)
  • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and browned bits form. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Add diced onion to the skillet with the beef and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Transfer the beef and onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet.
  4. Add cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, and frozen mixed vegetables to the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the beef.
  5. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Stir until tomato paste dissolves.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until potatoes are fork-tender and beef is falling apart.
  7. If desired, mix 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cold water until smooth. Stir into the stew during the last 30 minutes of cooking to thicken.
  8. Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Brown the beef properly for deep flavor. Layer potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker for even cooking. Don’t open the lid during the first few hours. For a thicker stew, mash some potatoes against the side of the slow cooker or use a cornstarch slurry. Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker stew, poor man's stew, budget dinner, ground beef stew, hearty stew, easy dinner, crockpot recipe

Find it online: https://lindabake.com/hearty-slow-cooker-poor-mans-stew-easy-budget-dinner/