Hamburger Stew (aka Poor Man’s Stew)

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A deliciously easy to prep crockpot recipe, using basic ingredients, this hamburger stew is a family favorite and budget-friendly!

With all the crud going around lately (our house has seen: pink eye, ear infections, chest infections, coughs, colds, and general crappiness) having a meal in the crockpot has been a lifesaver.

There is no way I feel like cooking when I get home and everyone is starving. There are, baths to be given, snuggles to be had, medication to administer…. ugh. If I don’t have a meal already prepped and ready to go, we can end up eating some pretty unusual combinations of things.

Not that I’m knocking having a refrigerator meal of pickles, leftover soup, and condiments, but if you have these simple ingredients on hand – use them for this amazing ground beef stew!!

Just dig out the slow cooker and set and forget.

If you’re into crockpot recipes, try this Cowboy Stew, or my Chicken Tikka Masala!

One of the biggest reasons to like this Ground Beef Stew? it’s budget-friendly, delicious, and has ingredients you likely already have on hand! Plus, it makes the house smell AMAZING.

WHY IS IT CALLED POOR MAN’S STEW?

Well, because traditional beef stew calls for chunky stew meat, using ground beef cuts the cost down a little. You can call it Hamburger Stew or Ground Beef Stew if you prefer.

How to thicken hamburger stew?

Remove a little of the cooking liquid and blend with some cornstarch (a slurry), then add back into the crockpot and cook for another 20 – 30 minutes.

About Crockpots
I own 3, in varying sizes. For this recipe, I used a 6-quart crockpot. Big enough to allow me to stir occasionally without overflowing.

• Ground Beef. Cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink in middle and drain any excess fat.
• Potatoes. I don’t peel, but you could.
• Carrots. Just like the potatoes, you can peel, or opt not to
• Onion. Cut into chunks
• Tomatoes. I use regular diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes. I sometimes bump up the flavor with some tomato paste.
• Beef Stock. If you are out of this, just use chicken stock – no big deal.
• Seasonings
  • Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Thyme.

How to make this recipe

1. Add the ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, to your crockpot.
2. Pour remaining ingredients over everything in the crockpot and mix well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or 4 hours on high.
4. Devour.

If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on Kylee Cooks, leave a comment and rating – I truly love to hear from you!
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Hamburger Stew (aka Poor Man’s Stew)

5 from 2 votes

One of the biggest reasons to like this stew? it’s budget-friendly, delicious, and has ingredients you likely already have on hand! Plus, it makes the house smell AMAZING.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Recommended Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (browned and drained)
• 3 medium potatoes (diced large (I don’t peel, but you could))
• 4 medium carrots (roughly chopped)
• 1 medium onion (sliced into chunks)
• 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef stock (can sub chicken broth)
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp cracked pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

• Add the ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, to your crock pot.
• Mix together the tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme.
• Pour the mix over everything in the crock pot and mix well.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or 4 hours on high.
• Devour.

Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @kyleecooks or tag #kyleecooks!

Notes

Make ahead

• Make this overnight, and pack into the fridge in the morning – helpful when you’ll be gone more than 7 hours from home!

Additions

• Add frozen peas or green beans to the last half hour of cooking!
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce will add to the savory flavor.
• 1 Tbs tomato paste will boost the tomato flavor.

Substitutions

• Use chicken stock if you don’t have beef broth.
• Tomato soup will work in a pinch to replace the canned diced tomatoes.
• Use a blend of turkey and beef to make it a bit healthier

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 1079mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6871IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 6mg

Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Author: Kylee Cooks

Update: This was originally posted in 2015 and has been updated to improve reader experience with updated photos.