Description
Poor mans stew simmers with hearty rustic charm, blending affordable ingredients into a comforting meal. Meat, potatoes, and vegetables create a nourishing dish where budget meets delicious simplicity for satisfying family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth (or water)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional, for extra flavor)
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme (optional)
Instructions
- Browning Proteins: Sauté ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium heat, methodically breaking meat into fine crumbles until achieving a deep golden caramelization.
- Layering Foundation: Transfer browned meat mixture into slow cooker, strategically arranging cubed potatoes as the robust base while integrating minced garlic and herbs throughout the landscape.
- Vegetable Integration: Distribute diced carrots and celery evenly across the meat and potato terrain, creating a harmonious textural arrangement.
- Liquid Infusion: Delicately pour beef broth over assembled ingredients, ensuring complete coverage and allowing liquid to permeate between layers, creating a rich, cohesive environment.
- Seasoning Elevation: Generously season with salt, pepper, and dried thyme, massaging flavors to penetrate every component of the developing stew.
- Slow Transformation: Cover slow cooker and set to low temperature, allowing ingredients to merge and tenderize over 6-8 hours, periodically monitoring moisture levels and adding minimal broth if necessary.
- Serving Finale: Once vegetables reach fork-tender perfection and meat becomes meltingly soft, unveil the completed stew, serving piping hot alongside crusty artisan bread.
Notes
- Select Lean Ground Beef: Choose 85% lean or leaner to reduce excess fat and prevent greasy texture, ensuring a healthier and more refined stew.
- Layer Ingredients Strategically: Place root vegetables like potatoes at the bottom to absorb meat flavors and create a sturdy foundation for even cooking.
- Monitor Liquid Levels Carefully: Check broth volume every 2-3 hours, adding small amounts of liquid to prevent drying out and maintain stew’s moisture and tenderness.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Consider adding Worcestershire sauce or a splash of red wine during initial browning stage to intensify meat’s rich, complex taste profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg