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Crock Pot Poor Man's Stew

Crock Pot poor man's stew with browned ground beef and hearty potato chunks cooked until tender in a thick, rust-colored broth. Slow-cooked low-and-slow for rich flavor, then thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry for a gravy-like finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 8 hours
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef browned and drained
potatoes
  • 4 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
carrots
  • 3 carrots sliced into rounds
onion
  • 1 onion diced
celery
  • 3 celery chopped
green beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) green beans drained
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
onion soup mix
  • 1 packet (1 oz) onion soup mix
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
cold water
  • 2 tbsp cold water used for slurry
crusty bread or dinner rolls
  • 1 crusty bread or dinner rolls for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, then drain excess fat so the stew isn’t greasy.
Build the stew
  1. Add the browned ground beef to the slow cooker along with Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, green beans, and diced tomatoes.
  2. Pour the beef broth over everything to create the base liquid for the slow cook.
  3. Add onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, then stir to combine and evenly distribute the seasonings.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on low for 7–8 hours, or on high for 3.5–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
Thicken and finish
  1. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, then stir the slurry into the stew during the last 30 minutes for thickening.
  2. Cook on high until the broth thickens to a hearty, stew-like consistency, stirring once if needed for an even texture.
  3. Serve the poor man's stew with crusty bread or dinner rolls.

Notes

For best results, keep the lid on during the slow-cook period so the stew stays at temperature, and only thicken during the last 30 minutes so the potatoes don’t turn grainy. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Freezing is yes for up to 3 months—thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly. For a lower-sodium option, use a reduced-sodium onion soup mix and reduce added salt to taste.