Momma’s Stew
I grew up eating this stew, but it was one of those recipes that my mom didn’t have written down in her recipe box. So when I wanted to make it the other day, I had to call her and ask her what ingredients she uses. I made it and both boys loved it. Sometimes it’s hard to get your kids to eat a lot of veggies, but it seems like any of these combo dishes definitely help!
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 T. ketchup
1 t. onion powder
1 T. Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 cans (15 oz.) potatoes, or 5 medium potatoes
1 can (15 oz.) peas
1 can (15 oz.) green beans
1 can (15 oz.) carrots
2 cans (15 oz.) corn
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 cube beef bouillon
In skillet, cook ground beef with ketchup, onion powder and liquid aminos. If using real potatoes, scrub and dice them, then add potatoes to pot and add enough water to cover them (about 1 inch above the potatoes). Bring to boil, then turn heat to med-low and boil for 20 min. then drain. Once potatoes and meat are cooked, add remaining ingredients and cook on medium heat until flavors blend (about 30 min).
Notes: If you try to cook the potatoes at the same time you are warming up the other veggies, they may get mushy. You can also substitute frozen vegetables for the same canned vegetables. If you choose to use fresh carrots, they will have a similar precook time to the potatoes.
What are you using for liquid?
I didn’t drain the canned vegetables, so that’s where most of the liquid came from.
This would be a great meal for when you want to use up those frozen veggies that have been hiding in the back of the freezer. Yes, that’s me!
Jill, this is like buying canned soup.
You will become a much better cook, if you start thinking about how to prepare food from fresh, you can buy potatoes, and carrots,
green beans, onions, fresh, you can add frozen corn, and peas at the end, or any other veggies. You can add other fresh items also.
By using that many canned vegetables, you are overloading your family on salt. And it will not have the flavor, that it will if you use fresh vegetables. Go to Farmers Market, and buy fresh produce to use up during the week. You can eliminate the hamburger, and change up the seasonings, and use chicken too. You can use left over roast beef. There are a lot of great recipes on Pinterest, and that will be inspiring. Put more efforts into this. Cooking is far more, than dumping cans together.
This above comment could use some grace. I agree fresh or frozen vegetables are much higher in nutritional content. I LOVE vegetables and fresh ones in particular. However, if you’d like to encourage people to eat healthily, or do anything for that matter, using a patronizing tone doesn’t really accomplish that. It’s much better to be kind and encouraging. Have you ever considered that sometimes people don’t have the extra money to buy all fresh produce? Or have the extra time it takes to prepare it. Sure it may be better for health, but lighten up. All moms (and caregivers) need a break sometimes. Instead of tearing each other down, let’s give each other a break while continuing to encourage one another to respect our bodies AND financial positions. We each do the best we can for our families.
What was the point of reading the recipe if you were going to go side ways on the quick canned stew recipe. The canned stuff is already cooked down to a state of I don’t want to take time to go to the Farmers Market. That’s way choice is a great resource. If you have time to go fresh and healthy by all means I want a bowl. But if your rushing to get something on the table and you really don’t know how to cook. Then by all means open them cans be done in less then 20 mins
I grew up with a very similar recipe. I think the canned veggies (as well as recipes with cream of…) must be a regional thing. :0). I’ve changed my mom’s recipe up a bit, mostly because we like our food a little spicy. I boil my ground beef, then drain and wash smthe beef to remove the fat. I then put it back in the soup pot and add half water, half beef bone broth. I then add in my cubed potatoes with some canned (yep camned!) Rotel tomatoes (we like the original). Once the potatoes are almost done, we add frozen veggies (there is a mixed veggie blend that is corn, green beans, peas and carrots). I bring the soup back to a boil, turn it to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. The potatoes get nice and soft and the flavors from the Rotel really come out and pop. We love this served with cornbread.
In the past five years. There has been a lot of improvement on canned vegetables. Some where it’s just the vegetable with nothing additional. One just has to read the ingredients label. Not terribly expensive either
I think it would be just as tasty and also healthier to skip the sugar.
What about using fresh vegetables? Canned gods are just revolting and the nutritional content is depleted. As for the sugar? Totally unnecessary.
That would be *goods.
Stewing steak, fresh spuds and carrots, a can of diced tomatoes make this a better choice
No to adding sugar to stew. My dad calls this stew — Poor Man’s Stew. It is good, filling and nutritious. we add turnips, cabbage, a couple cans of stewed tomatoes, a can of hominy, a jar of Heinz beef gravy and a package of stew meat.
Can’t wait to try this. The picture shows corn but the recipe doesn’t. Was corn in addition to everything else?
Whoops! Forgot to add that to the recipe! Thanks! -Jill
Jill, I have notice is there corn in the pot pan? Because I notice it’s not on recipes list. Can corn come with it? It looks delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Jill. I’m sorry some of these comments are so rude. If someone doesn’t want to use sugar, they can just leave it out. If they prefer frozen veggies over canned, go for it. I’m sure you know the nutritional value of fresh veggies as opposed to canned. You seem to be a pretty intelligent gal. But, you are also busy with two young children & there is absolutely nothing wrong with having some easy, convenient recipes in your collection that allow you to make your family a home cooked meal in days when time is short.
Jill, thanks for the awesome recipe! Can’t wait to try. It’s so helpful for all of us moms out here who don’t have the time to go shopping at a local farmers market each week. Plus, I love quick fixes because I get more time to spend with my kiddos! Thanks bunches!!
I love stew! Try looking for stew meat instead of ground beef. It’s more cost efficient and cooks tenderly in a crockpot. Hit up your local farmers market. People assume it’s more pricey but it’s not! The foods last longer and you’re supporting local farms.
Oh I do hope my coomment didn’t come off as rude. I just mentioned the frozen vegetables because I have frozen veggies that have been hiding way in the back of my freezer. They would be perfect for Jill’s recipe. I have store bought canned veggies and also home canned that can go into a stew. I agree Vicky should have shown more grace.
Love the simplicity of this for busy, working parents on a budget or short on time! One pot wonders are the way to go sometimes! This looks like a nice, quick and easy warm recipe to try after I’ve had a busy morning at the grocery store, feed store, gym, and farmers market! 🙂 Last I checked, there was no claim to be made from scratch or “fresh”! Also, its a no brainer that anything can be substituted for something else! DUH! Lighten up on the Moms out there trying to share the love and be good Moms! There is enough pressure we put on ourselves, we don’t need negative Nancy’s throwing shade at a simple family recipe being shared. Now instead of trolling, go read your gourmet magazine Vicky’s of the world.
Your drew recipe is a lot like the one I grew up with and have fed my children and grandchildren. I am 67 and it is an oldie but goody.
I do not put ketchup or sugar…I put canned diced tomatoes and tomato juice in. I use fresh carrots and. zucchini and other fresh vegetables when I can. I also use frozen Callifornia mix which is broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Then I use can green beans and can regular beans and corn.
You could use all frozen. Its amounts to what you have on hand and what you can afford.
People also need to think about maybe that is all someone could afford. I know how tough it can be feeding a house of seven people. With today economy we have to stretch the budget as far as it can go.
I made this recipe tonight for our family of four. I cut the recipe in half (although, I accidentally forgot with the onion powder, oops) and just a sprinkle of sugar and it was tasty! I used about half a bag of frozen mixed veggies instead of canned as we like the crispier texture and prefer frozen. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe for time crunching mommas Jill! And my youngest who usually picks out cooked carrots ate them up 😉
I just made this stew for dinner tonight and – oh my goodness – SO GOOD!!!! Thank you for sharing, Jill <3