I thought about calling this Poor Man’s Stew, but honestly, our Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stew is great for even the Queen of England on a cold night!
Not only is this Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stew delicious, but we’ve also included an instant pot stew recipe alongside it! Really, you could do a slow cooker stew as well, but to be honest, you have to cook the meat and veggies in a pot anyway so at that point you might as well finish it all off in the same pot. Though, I suppose if you were leaving home it might work better in a slow cooker until you return.
My mom’s Fabulous Oven Stew is one of my favorite things to make during the cold winter months. I love how tender and totally fall apart the meat gets, I love that it’s got a creaminess to it and I love that it gets baked in the oven like a true stew should. But the fact of the matter is, sometimes I’m in more of a hurry and I don’t always have the right meat on hand.
Ground beef is such a cheap, easy to keep in the freezer meat and the best part is, it cooks up much faster than stew meat, allowing you to get things on the table in no time at all.
It’s Always the Random Recipes We Love
We were having an absolute blizzard a while back and I had absolutely no desire to run to the store. Usually I’m pretty well prepared with a well stocked panty, fridge and freezer, but we had just finished up Christmas and I really didn’t want to leave to get groceries so we just kept eating through what little we had.
On one particular day I knew we were in trouble. I had ground beef, 1 sprig of rosemary, a few potatoes and a few mini carrots and everything else was random like cereal, bread, condiments, eggs etc. We weren’t in the mood for breakfast for dinner so I just winged it.
And of course it’s now one of our favorite new recipes. Thank goodness I had the thought to sit down and write down everything I did!
Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stew
I’m not kidding, our house wasn’t well stocked with things to really pull together a meal, but it totally ended up being a blessing in disguise.
Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stew starts off with what I think is the most important start of any stew, the mirepoix. This creates such a sweet and flavorful beginning.
Next up we will throw in the ground beef. Now don’t underestimate the power of the Ground Beef Hamburger Chopper here. It’s the most important thing you could buy in 2019 and it’s only a few bucks. It will make your ground beef end up perfectly broken up and it’s 100 times easier to do that. I’m serious. Don’t wait, Amazon it to yourself right now.
A few more ingredients are added to build a depth of umami flavor. The flavor that gives to meaty, richer undertones. We add tomato paste, tomato sauce and beef broth. Why do we add tomato paste in addition to the sauce? It is a condensed form of that wonderful tomato flavor that is unlike a lighter tomato sauce.
A sprig of rosemary that gets removed at the end of cooking has an important role. I’ll discuss it below.
We also added some chopped Yukon Gold potatoes. Potatoes give off starch which helps to thicken the stew a bit, but it also adds more heartiness so you are really filled up after eating this delicious Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stew.
Can I Use Russet Potatoes Instead of Yukon Gold Potatoes?
In this stew recipe you can substitute russet potatoes for the yukon potatoes. We happened to have yukon golds, plus I really like how simple and creamy they are. I especially like that I don’t have to peel them at all.
A Sprig of Rosemary
- What is a Sprig of Rosemary? – A sprig of rosemary is one small stick of the rosemary without removing any of the leaves.
- What is the purpose of throwing in a sprig of rosemary whole just to remove it?
Leaving a whole sprig of rosemary in a dish is a great, convenient method of adding flavor to a dish without overly making it herby and this allows you to quickly find the stick and remove it once the desired amount of rosemary flavor has seeped into the soup or stew.
- Substitute for Rosemary Sprig- If you do not have a fresh sprig of rosemary, substitute 1/4 Teaspoon dried Rosemary. Technically it’s 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary or 1 Teaspoon of fresh rosemary, but we are not looking to add that much flavor which is why the sprig is removed at the end of cooking.
Mirepoix
- What is Mirepoix?
A mirepoix is a flavorful base made from diced vegetables such as onions, garlic, celery (not in this recipe) and carrots that are cooked, usually with butter or oil, for a long time on a low heat without color or browning. It is not sautéed because the intention is to sweeten the ingredients rather than caramelize them. That’s why you’ll notice we use medium heat. never go higher than that.
What Kind of Ground Beef for Soup and Stew
Because this is a stew you can actually use any percentage of ground beef that you’d like. If you use a more fatty ground beef, please be sure to drain off a little fat before continuing with the recipe. Failure to do so will result in a more greasy stew.
We tend to use an 85/15 or 90/10
What is Better Than Beef Bouillon?
You’ll notice that Better than Beef Bouillon is used versus a beef stock in this recipe. That’s for very good reason.
- What is Better than Beef Bouillon?
Better than beef bouillon is a condensed form of beef roast base which you add water to in order to create a rich and flavorful stock.
- Why Use Better than Beef Bouillon instead of Stock or Broth
We much prefer to use this because of how much good flavor you’ll get from it. It’s usually less salty and it’s way easier to keep on hand than a bunch of cartons or cans.
Soup RECIPES
Looking for more soup recipes? Award Winning Instant Pot Chili, Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, Taco Stew, Mom’s Fabulous Slow Cooker Stew or Broccoli Cheese Soup!
REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO our FREE Oh Sweet Basil NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE EASY RECIPES DELIVERED INTO YOUR INBOX EVERY DAY!
When you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #ohsweetbasil on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured in our stories! FOLLOW OH, SWEET BASIL ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER FOR ALL OF OUR LATEST CONTENT, RECIPES AND STORIES.
Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stew
Description
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Onion, Yellow, minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Bell Pepper, Red, minced
- 1 1/2 Cups Carrots, Sliced, or more to taste
- 1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef, 1 Pound is fine for a less meaty stew
- 6 Potatoes, Yukon Gold, chopped
- 1 Can Soup, Golden Mushroom
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 15 ounce Tomato Sauce
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Beef bouillon, Better Than Beef Bouillon
- 3/4 Teaspoon Salt , or to taste
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Sprig Rosemary
Instructions
Stove Top Recipe
- In a pot over medium heat, add the butter and as it begins to melt, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper and carrots and stir again, cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, and using a meat chopper, (which you absolutely must buy because it's amazing) break up the meat while it is cooking.
- Once the meat is browned, add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Allow the stew to cook on medium low for 1 hour.
- Remove the rosemary and serve.
Instant Pot Recipe
- Start the instant pot on Saute mode, add the butter and as it begins to melt, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper and carrots and stir again, cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, and using a meat chopper, (which you absolutely must buy because it's amazing) break up the meat while it is cooking.
- Once the meat is browned, add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Turn the instant pot off. Now turn it on to stew or manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Turn the valve to seal.
- Allow a natural release for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the rosemary and serve.
Sarah
Delicious! I used 90/10 ground beef (1lb) drained the fat and less potatoes to make it a bit lighter. The flavor was stellar and it was a breeze to make. Another great recipe!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much for the feedback Sarah and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa
I do not care for mushrooms at all. Can the mushroom soup just be omitted?
Sweet Basil
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Janet Bradley
Since there is only two of us, I always cut my meats in half when I buy them. I wanna make this now but only have 1/2 pod of hamburger, but I also have 1/2 pound of Italian sausage. Do you think that combination would work for this soup?
Thanks, Janet
Sweet Basil
Yes, that would be delicious! Let us know how it goes!
Emily
I have made this many times- so simple and tasty! It is one of those kinds of meals that I make when it is 3:30 and I don’t know what to make for dinner lol- often have all ingredients on hand and it is very versatile if I happen to be missing an ingredient or two!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Emily!
Melody
Does it have to be ‘golden’ mushroom?
Sweet Basil
Hi Melody! That is the flavor we prefer! It has mushrooms, beef stock and tomato puree in it. If you can find an alternative soup with similar ingredients, you could substitute. Or you could saute some mushrooms and then add a little more tomato sauce and water/beef bouillon.
Lanieca Higham
Made this recipe on a rainy day and it was perfect! So comforting and delicious!
Sweet Basil
Rainy days are all I remember about growing up in Washington and this was always the perfect meal for a day like that! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment!
Mary Moreland
Thanks! I am making it now. DO I cover the stew while it is on medium low for an hour?
Sweet Basil
It should be uncovered. How did it turn out?
Mary Moreland
Does this freeze well?
Sweet Basil
Yes, it freezes great!
Jules
Any idea on how I could substitute the mushroom soup? I have to look out for lactose and most canned soups are a no-go for me. Should I just chop up some mushrooms, brown them and add some cream?
Sweet Basil
Hey Jules! This is a great question! I would saute some mushrooms and add them in with about a 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of beef stock. That will cut back on the lactose without losing the mushroom flavor. Enjoy!
Angie
I have this on the stove cooking right now. I just took a taste and it is wonderful! I used dried rosemary and left out the red pepper since I forgot to get one at grocery store. It’s very rich and flavorful!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Thank you so much for the feedback! You’re going to love it!
Donna E
Planning on making this tonight but curious how adding 1 cup of liquid with all the other ingredients can feed 6-8 people??
Am I missing something…
Sweet Basil
It is a thick stew, but with the water, cream of mushroom soup, tomato sauce and cream, there is plenty of liquid to make the stew. Enjoy!