Hamburger Stew is one of the most versatile recipes I’ve ever seen. The meat and vegetables as well as the seasonings can be changed. Explore! Create your own recipe! Embellish a family tradition. When the kids were in grade school, we’d make this with some warm home-made French bread slathered with butter. If the kids were too rambunctious, we’d have home made butter as well. This recipe is also a very nice welcome home on a cold, wintry afternoon of sledding or skiing.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef You’ll want some fat content as this makes the whole thing oh so much better!
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Onion, chopped I used a large onion. My family doesn’t like onions, so I use Onion Powder instead.
- 2 large Potatoes, cubed We LOVE our potatoes. I increased this to 3 large potatoes.
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 8 cups Liquid You can use beef broth, beef stock, or red wine ( I suggest the Ricord Merlot for this hearty meal). You can also use water.
- 28 ounce Canned diced tomatoes You can also use whole canned tomatoes that you crush. Tomato sauce is also an option, but it makes a thicker soup.
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 16 ounces Frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted.
Instructions
- Mix ground beef with baking soda in a bowl. Combine well. Put it aside.
- Melt butter and add olive oil to the soup pot. Once the oil starts sizzling, add the ground beef and cook until well browned. It takes about 5-7 minutes.
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if you’re using them), and Italian seasoning on top. Make sure the ground beef is well mixed.
- You’ll want to sauté onions until they’re translucent. It only takes a minute or two.
- Sauté garlic until it smells good. It takes about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes and sauté until they absorb some of the fat at the bottom and become starchy. About two minutes.
- Pour the liquid in and add the bay leaves. Stir until almost tender, then simmer until the potatoes are done. It takes about 10 minutes. It depends on how big your potatoes are.
- Make sure the tomatoes and tomato paste are incorporated well.
- Add mixed vegetables and stir well.
- Let the soup simmer until the tomatoes and vegetables are warm.
- Serve Stew topped with Croutons and Shredded Cheese. We like the Texas Sized Croutons the best! You can also make this into a larger meal with the addition of a slice of warmed French Bread and a side salad.
