Crockpot Poor Man’s Stew
Budget friendly comfort food that you’ll come back to again and again! This crockpot poor man’s stew is made with affordable pantry staples like ground beef, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, all slow cooked together to make a foolproof, reliable family dinner that’s easy enough for busy weeknights.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- A simple set-and-forget dinner without tons of extra steps. Once you’ve browned the mince, it’s totally hands off
- Made with simple, affordable ingredients, but still tastes hearty and comforting
- Feeds a family without needing expensive cuts of meat or complicated ingredients – add crusty bread if you want to stretch it even further!
- Easy to customize with different veggies, potatoes, or whatever ground meat you already have in the fridge
- Makes really good leftovers and reheats beautifully the next day. It also freezes really well!
What You’ll Need
Looking for the printable recipe card? It’s at the bottom of this post!
- Lean ground beef – Keeps the stew hearty and filling while still being budget-friendly.
- Onion & garlic – Add savory flavor and make the stew taste slow cooked and cozy.
- Yellow potatoes – Turn soft and buttery as they cook and help make the stew extra comforting.
- Carrots – Add sweetness and texture to balance the rich broth.
- Diced tomatoes – Give the stew a rich tomato base and plenty of flavor.
- Tomato paste – Adds depth and helps thicken the broth slightly.
- Beef broth – Creates the flavorful base of the stew. Water works too if needed.
- Italian seasoning – Adds cozy herby flavor with minimal effort.
- Salt & pepper – Simple seasonings that bring everything together.
- Frozen peas – Added at the end for a little freshness and color.
- Fresh parsley – Optional, but brightens up the stew before serving.
How To Make Crockpot Poor Man’s Stew
- Start by browning the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a large skillet until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease, then transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have had time to come together.
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the frozen peas.
- Finish with fresh parsley before serving.
Storage, Reheating, & Freezing
Store leftover stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
To reheat, warm it on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions if needed.
This stew freezes really well too, so it’s great for meal prep or easy future dinners. Let it cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, or warm gently straight from frozen on the stovetop with a splash of broth if needed.
I highly recommend labelling so you know exactly what you’ve got in your containers at a later date – in the past I’ve skipped this and it’s amazing how easy it is to forget what everything is!
Substitutes & Swaps
- Ground turkey, chicken, pork, or sausage all work well instead of ground beef depending on what you have. You can also use stew meat if you want more of a traditional beef stew texture.
- Frozen mixed vegetables are an easy shortcut and work really well. Most blends already include peas, carrots, corn, and green beans, which makes this even easier to throw together.
- Any potato variety works for this recipe – yellow potatoes, baby potatoes, red potatoes, or russets are all good options! Just try to cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- You can peel the potatoes or leave the skins on for a more rustic stew.
- Want a richer broth? Use beef broth instead of water and add an extra spoonful of tomato paste.
Serving Ideas
This stew is hearty enough to be a full meal on its own, so no need to worry about sides.
If you do want to add a little something extra, try crusty bread or warm dinner rolls. You can also serve it with biscuits, cornbread, or a simple side salad if you want to round the meal out a little bit more.
Crockpot Poor Man's Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3-4 yellow potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth or water
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Fresh chopped parsley for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Start by browning the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a large skillet until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease, then transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have had time to come together.
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the frozen peas.
- Finish with fresh parsley before serving.
This recipe is reliable, foolproof, and definitely one for the regular weeknight rotation. Tried it? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and a star rating below.