Poor man’s stew
One pound of ground beef, a bag of potatoes and a can of tomato soup stretch into a thick, cozy stew that feeds you for days on almost nothing.
- 55 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 6
- About $2.05 a serving
- 350 calories
- Good the next day
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
- 1 can condensed tomato soup, condensed
- 2 beef bouillon cubes, check the box: most cubes make 2 cups each
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 350 calories, 19 g protein, 43 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $2.05 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No russet potatoes? Yukon Gold potatoes work.
- No 85/15 ground beef? 90/10 ground beef works.
- No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion, cut the potatoes into ¾-inch , and the carrots.
Dice. Dicing means cutting food into small, even cubes, usually a quarter to half an inch across. Pieces the same size cook at the same speed, so nothing burns while the rest catches up.
How you’ll know: Your pieces are little cubes about the size of a chickpea, and they all look close to the same.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Cook the beef and onion in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains, 8 to 10 minutes.
Medium-high heatTimer: 9 min
Food safety: Ground beef, pork and lamb are done at 160°F. When it’s cooked through there’s no pink left anywhere in the pan.
Spoon off most of the fat and stir in the garlic powder.
Medium heat
Add the potatoes, carrots, tomato soup, water, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire, thyme and pepper, and stir until the soup is mixed in. over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to low, cover and for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender and starting to fall apart.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 27 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: The potatoes that break apart are what thicken the stew, so don’t worry when they crumble.Stir in the peas if you’re using them and cook for 3 minutes, then taste before adding salt and serve.
Low heatTimer: 3 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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