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Bowl of Slow Cooker Poor Man's Stew with ground beef, potatoes, and carrots in tomato broth.

Poor Man's Stew

A budget-friendly, hearty stew made with ground meat, potatoes, and carrots, perfect for chilly nights.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 to 1.5 pounds ground meat Can be ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork.
  • 4 to 5 medium potatoes Peeled or unpeeled, chopped.
  • 3 to 4 carrots Sliced.
  • 1 small onion Chopped.
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic Minced or garlic powder.
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 2 to 3 cups beef broth Or chicken broth.
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste Optional but great.
Seasoning
  • to taste salt and pepper
  • to taste paprika, Italian seasoning, or chili powder For additional flavor.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Brown the ground meat in a skillet. Drain the extra grease.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker. Then add the browned meat.
  3. Pour in the diced tomatoes and broth. Stir in tomato paste if you are using it. Season with salt, pepper, and chosen seasonings.
Cooking
  1. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 3.5 to 4.5 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary, especially salt.

Notes

For a thicker stew, mash some potato chunks in the slow cooker close to the end, or add more broth for a soupier consistency. Don't forget to taste before serving!