Hearty veggies of the season are slowly cooked to fork tender in this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Beef Stew. Get your healthy dose of squash stew on those cool fall and winter nights. This beef stew is sure to become a new family favorite!
Stew makes the perfect weeknight and weekend meal. If you’re looking to fill your meal plan with more hearty soups, try my Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew.
What is butternut squash?
Butternut squash is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It is usually oblong shaped with yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp whose seeds blossom toward the end.
It turns tender when cooking and is absolutely delicious when paired with beef and potatoes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef Chuck Roast: This recipe calls for 3-4 pounds of beef cubes slowly cooked in the crock pot.
- Butternut Squash: One butternut squash is cut into 2-inch cubes and when cooked, adds a nutty but sweet potato like flavor.
- Baby Potatoes: Red potatoes are the most ideal option when using a slow cooker to cook them. They won’t be mushy and are the perfect size.
- Vegetables: Onion, celery, and diced tomatoes are the classic beef stew vegetables that add an amazing flavor.
- Other Ingredients: Garlic for seasoning, cornstarch and beef broth for a flavorful thickening sauce, olive oil for browning the meat, Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning for added flavor, and fresh thyme for an herbal flavor. And, of course salt and pepper (not pictured).
- Fresh Parsley: Used for garnish.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add olive oil and cubed stew meat to a medium size skillet.
Step Two – Cook the cubed meat until just brown to seal in flavor.
Step Three – Remove the brown bits from the skillet and add the browned beef to the crockpot.
Step Four – Add butternut squash, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, celery, baby red potatoes, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Step Five – Mix the ingredients to distribute evenly and then pour over the beef broth and cornstarch mixture. Place the thyme springs on top.
Step Six – Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Remove the thyme sprigs and add the fresh parsley garnish before serving.
Variations
- Other options equivalent to butternut squash that can be used are diced pumpkin, sweet potatoes, or acorn squash.
- Adding more vegetables can make this soup more hearty. Hearty veggies to consider adding are carrots and mushrooms.
- Add red wine for an additional flavor. Some recipes like to use this in replacement of the beef broth altogether; however, adding it with it works as well.
Recipe FAQs
You can’t go wrong with having crusty bread for dipping. Egg noodles also pair well with this stew.
This crockpot butternut beef stew can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen after cooking, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can use fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned. It will be about two medium-sized tomatoes.
Yes, you can use a crockpot liner for this recipe, it will make cleanup easy and quick!
You can reheat this dish in a microwave, about 1 minute per cup of stew, depending on the wattage of your microwave. You can also put this stew in a pot on your stove top to reheat it on medium-low heat while frequently stirring for about 10-15 minutes or until it is hot and it’s ready to serve.
Butternut Squash Beef Stew Recipe
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 3-4 lbs. of beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes (or precut beef stew meat)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 butternut squash cut into 2-inch cubes
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes can use crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. garlic minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 1 lb. of baby red potatoes
- 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 sprigs thyme
- parsley for garnish optional
Instructions:
- In a large skillet, sear your beef cubes in olive oil over medium-high heat. You are not cooking the beef, you just want the outside browned to seal in flavor.
- Remove the seared beef from the stove top and transfer them to a 6-8 quart crockpot.
- Add Butternut squash, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, celery, baby red potatoes, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- In a large bowl whisk the cornstarch with the beef broth, pour this over the ingredients in the crockpot and place the thyme springs on top. Do not mix in your thyme sprigs because you will be removing them before serving.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Remove thyme sprigs. Garnish with parsley if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- You can use fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned. It will be about two medium-sized tomatoes.
- This crockpot butternut beef stew can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen after cooking, in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Delicious! Split the liquid with 2 cups beef broth and 2 cups red wine and added 16oz frozen peas at the end.