Hamburger Stew

Hamburger stew is a thrifty, hearty, comforting dish made with seasoned ground beef simmered with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and a savory, thick broth. Warm and filling, it delivers classic home-style flavors and is perfect for a cozy, satisfying meal.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, delicious and nourishing meal then this stew is for you. It can be customized by using different vegetables, spices, or pasta instead of rice. And with 16 servings, there will be leftovers.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ground beef: The original recipe called for 2 pounds of ground beef. I used 1 1/2 pound and feel that was enough. The first step to making hamburger stew is to brown the ground beef with the onions.

Onions: I like to use sweet onions when cooking. I love their flavor and they don’t make me cry while cutting. You can use frozen onions to save time.

Stewed tomatoes: The original recipe called for 4 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes. I used 3 cans then added one 10 oz can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies. The Rotel tomatoes add flavor without overpowering.

Vegetables: The original recipe called for potatoes, which I omitted. Instead I just used carrots and celery. Slice or dice everything to the same size, so the veggies cook through at the same rate. You can add any medley of vegetables to suit your family’s taste buds.

Long grain rice: Optional – If wanting to include rice, I would suggest you try Jasmine, Basmati or brown rice. Just increase the simmer time to 45 minutes. Don’t use minute or instant rice. Those will get too mushy as the stew cooks.

Different meats: Ground or sliced sausage, ground venison, ground turkey, or cubed chicken can be swapped out for ground beef.

Veggies: Try chopped broccoli, corn, diced bell peppers, chopped cabbage or green beans. You can use frozen veggies instead of fresh ones.

Grains: For additional flavor, try replacing the plain rice with seasoned boxed varieties like Spanish rice or wild rice. Barley works well in this stew too, because it softens right in the broth. If adding pasta, choose smaller shapes like orzo or elbow shells, and make sure to check their cook times so you know when to add them to the stew.

Beans: Try stirring in a cup of canned beans. Kidney, pinto, great Northern, white or cannelloni beans will work.

Replace the water: Instead of adding 2 cups of water, try the same amount of beef, chicken or vegetable stock. Stock will add a ton of flavor, but unless you use salt-free stock it will also add salt. So, after adding the stock, taste the stew to determine if you still need to add the salt.

Slow cooker: If using a slow cooker, follow the steps to cook the ground beef and onions. Then transfer these and other ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Uncover the stew during the last 30 minutes to help the stew thicken up.

Spices: While this hamburger stew has great flavor the way it is, you might want to try spicing it up a bit. Try Italian spice, Montreal steak seasoning, taco seasoning or a little cayenne pepper. Maybe add a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce. It really complements the beef and tomatoes in this dish. Or try adding an envelope of onion soup mix.

Leftovers: Once cooled, store in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat leftovers in a saucepan on the stove or microwave.

Freeze: This hamburger stew freezes beautifully. Store in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat, partially thaw the stew in the fridge overnight. Heat the stew in a saucepan over low heat stirring occasionally.

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Hamburger Stew

Recipe by janet @ mykitchenandkin.com

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Soups and Salads, Dinner, BeefCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

191

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

Hamburger stew is a thrifty, hearty, comforting dish made with seasoned ground beef simmered with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and a savory, thick broth. Warm and filling, it delivers classic home-style flavors and is perfect for a cozy, satisfying meal.

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Ingredients

US Metric

• 1 1/2 pound 1 1/2 ground beef

• 2 medium 2 sweet onion, chopped

• 3 ccans (14.5 oz) 3 stewed tomatoes, undrained

• 1 can (10 oz) 1 Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained

• 8 medium 8 carrots, thinly sliced

• 4 ribs 4 celery, thinly sliced

• 2 cups 2 water (or broth)

• 1/2 cup 1/2 uncooked long grain rice (optional)

• 3 teaspoons 3 salt

• 1 teaspoon 1 black pepper

Directions

• In a Dutch over or large stockpot, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain.
• Add the tomatoes, carrots, celery, water, rice, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.
• Serve and enjoy with my Quick and Easy: 30 Minute Dinner Rolls.

Notes

• Different meats: Ground or sliced sausage, ground venison, ground turkey, or cubed chicken can be swapped out for ground beef.
• Veggies: Try chopped broccoli, corn, diced bell peppers, chopped cabbage or green beans. You can use frozen veggies instead of fresh ones.
• Grains: If wanting to include rice, I would suggest you try Jasmine, Basmati or brown rice. Just increase the simmer time to 45 minutes. Don’t use minute or instant rice. Those will get too mushy as the stew cooks. For additional flavor, try replacing the plain rice with seasoned boxed varieties like Spanish rice or wild rice. Barley works well in this stew too, because it softens right in the broth. If adding pasta, choose smaller shapes like orzo or elbow shells, and make sure to check their cook times so you know when to add them to the stew.
• Beans: Try stirring in a cup of canned beans. Kidney, pinto, great Northern, white or cannelloni beans will work.
• Replace the water: Instead of adding 2 cups of water, try the same amount of beef, chicken or vegetable stock. Stock will add a ton of flavor, but unless you use salt-free stock it will also add salt. So, after adding the stock, taste the stew to determine if you still need to add the salt.
• Slow cooker: If using a slow cooker, follow the steps to cook the ground beef and onions. Then transfer these and other ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Uncover the stew during the last 30 minutes to help the stew thicken up.
• Spices: While this hamburger stew has great flavor the way it is, you might want to try spicing it up a bit. Try Italian spice, Montreal steak seasoning, taco seasoning or a little cayenne pepper. Maybe add a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce. It really complements the beef and tomatoes in this dish. Or try adding an envelope of onion soup mix.

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