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Crock Pot Poor Man's Stew

Crock pot poor man’s stew with tender potatoes and vegetables in a thick, rust-colored broth made from browned ground beef, diced tomatoes, and onion soup mix. Slow-cooked until soft, then thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry for a hearty bowl every time.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef browned and drained
potatoes and vegetables
  • 4 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 carrots sliced into rounds
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 celery chopped
  • 1 can (15 oz) green beans drained
stew base and seasoning
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 packet (1 oz) onion soup mix
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
thickener
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned, then drain excess fat. The mixture should lose its pink color and look crumbly.
Build the slow-cooker stew
  1. Add the browned ground beef to the slow cooker along with Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Spread the vegetables so they sit evenly in the pot.
  2. Pour beef broth over everything. You should see liquid rise around the vegetables.
  3. Add onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper and stir to combine. The top should look evenly coated with seasoning mix.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 7–8 hours until vegetables are tender. Check near the end and look for easily pierced potatoes and softened carrots.
Thicken the broth
  1. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together into a smooth slurry. It should look lump-free and slightly cloudy.
  2. Stir the slurry into the stew during the last 30 minutes, then cook on high until the broth thickens. The liquid should cling to a spoon rather than pour clear.
Serve
  1. Serve the stew with crusty bread or dinner rolls. The bread should be ready to soak up the thickened broth.

Notes

For best texture, keep the lid closed during the last 30 minutes so the stew thickens evenly; if it thickens too much, stir in a splash of beef broth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container. Freezing is yes: freeze in portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-carb swap, replace some or all of the Yukon Gold potatoes with chopped turnips or cauliflower florets and cook until tender.