Hamburger and Veggie Slow Cooker Stew

written by Catherine September 28, 2009

When fall weather rolls in all I want to do is make soups and stews and bake things. There is something about cooler weather that makes me want to hunker down in the kitchen and make warm filling foods for my family.

Well, I live in Colorado. Which actually means fall like weather can make appearances at any moment, regardless of the month. So soup and stew season has started in my house. Already. Soup and stew season also means crock pot/slow cooker season too, because honestly the only thing better on a cool day than warm soup is smelling that warm soup cooking all day long. Well that and spending 15-20 minutes on your dinner in the morning and having delicious flavorful food in the evening is quite awesome.

The recipe below, like a lot of my favorite recipes, is very flexible and yummy year round. If you like ground turkey use that in place of the ground beef. If your family hates corn but loves peas use peas instead. If zucchini is a no go then leave it out or substitute a different veggie. When the farmers market is in full swing I use all fresh veggies, but this soup tastes yummy with canned and frozen veggies too.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings (or more depending on your appetites). We love this soup with buttered bread but it would also be yummy with warm rolls, side salads, or corn bread muffins.

Hamburger and Veggie Stew

Ingredients
2-2 1/5 pounds ground beef
2 minced cloves garlic
1 cup diced onion
2 cups sliced carrot
1 1/2 cups zucchini
1 1/2 cups green bean cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 1/2 cups potatoes cut into about 1 inch cubes
1 can kidney beans
2 cups corn
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 28oz can diced tom with juice
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add carrot, zucchini, green beans, potatoes, kidney beans, corn, Worcestershire sauce, stock, diced tomatoes and oregano to slow cooker.

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic in a saute pan. Once beef is cooked drain the fat off the beef and add the beef, onion and garlic mixture to the vegetables mixture in the slow cooker.

Cook stew on high for 4-6 hours or until potatoes and green beans are cooked. When ready to serve,before stirring, skim any remaining fat off the top of the stew with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir and serve.

Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions.

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Catherine

Catherine, The Evolving Mommy, is the mom behind the Evolving Motherhood. As the mom to two young girls, Catherine spends a good deal of her time feeding her family, cleaning up after feeding her family and planning the next meal she will feed her family. When she isn't feeding people, cleaning, running errands or volunteering in her daughter's school, she enjoys running, reading, writing, and cooking for fun. Motherhood is a jungle so we have to keep evolving and learning from the everyday.