Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew is made from scratch with ground beef to save money. A very hearty meal with very little effort or money.
We love easy stew recipes like this one, Shipwreck Stew or A-1 Beef Stew for an easy hearty dinner.
Looking for a budget meal this week? I made this Poor Man’s Stew for $6.24 and it feeds 5 people! I put ground beef, russet potatoes, carrots, onions, a garlic clove (not pictured, I had this on hand), tomato paste, water and seasoning in my slow cooker simmered it all day to make this Hearty Poor Man’s Stew.
The inspiration for this meal came from my favorite old movie The Princess Bride. I made a stew similar to the one seen in the movie where Fezzic (Andre the Giant)
What makes this meal budget friendly ?
- Fresh vegetables – I bought just what I needed for this recipe though you can buy large bags of potatoes and carrots and your price will go down.
- Look for ground beef a roll, it’s almost always cheaper than beef in trays.
- Dried spices are alway cheaper than fresh and last for years for other recipes as well.
- I use water instead of broth in this recipe to cut down on the cost, though broth can be used if desired.
How to make Poor Man’s Stew:
You will need these ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef browned and drained
- 1.5 lbs potatoes, diced large
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove minced (I had this on hand already)
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
Directions:
- Brown the beef in a skillet on the stove-top, drain fat.
- Add the beef to the slow cooker along with the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic.
- In a small bowl whisk together the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, onion powder, and oregano. Pour this mixture over everything in the slow cooker. Stir.
How long do I cook poor man’s stew?
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the potatoes are tender.
- Serve in bowls and enjoy!
More stew recipes you’ll want to try!
Slow Cooker Classic Beef Stew- Slow Cooker A.1. Beef Stew
- Witches Brew Stew
- Slow Cooker Beefy Bacon Man Stew
- Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Shipwreck Stew
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Stew
- Slow Cooker Farmers Market Beef Stew
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Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 5 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef browned and drained
- 1 1/2 lbs potatoes diced large
- 3 carrots sliced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced (I had this on hand already)
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
Instructions:
- Add the cooked ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.
- In a small bowl whisk together the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, onion powder and oregano. Pour this mixture over everything in the slow cooker. Stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Serve with buttered sandwich bread. Enjoy!
Hello, I am Italian didn’t know this recipe. I tried it yesterday, but didn’t drain the meat at all. I just sauted it and tossed everything in the slow cooker. I think it gains in flavor. You could also put some black beans or belly pepper or any other veg you have at hand for flavor variations. Great recipe
Delicious and easy I had everything on hand
I have a couple of issues with this. 1st, why drain the fat at all? It’s an important part of the flavor. if you must drain it: keep it in the fridge for a different dish, as a substitute for cooking oil. 2nd: why get the cheapest meat? Unless you are in dire straits, get a smaller pack of the best meat you can afford, ideally organic. Bulk up with lentils or such- and then CERTAINLY keep the fat. Or forget ground beef and work with meaty soup bones. 3rd: fresh herbs taste a LOT better than dried. I guess the way to go is buy fresh herbs when they are cheap, use a part right away, and freeze or dry the rest.
Awwwe Jackie, don’t take it to heart. Some of us can’t afford expensive beef, have time to shop for fresh herbs, or even like lentils! I work 2 jobs, have 3 sons, with one of them with special challenges, and my husband passed away after a long nasty illness. It’s recipes like this that help us with limited ressources , and limited time, to survive!!! Between the slow cooker and an instant pot someone blessed me with at Christmas, I am blessed to have people that care enough to put lower cost recipes to share with us! And I ALWAYs drain AND rinse ground beef or ground chuck-me or my kids don’t want the EXTRA fat.
Don’t worry Jake, some people are just meant to troll. This looks like one of them….some ppl can’t handle moving on if they don’t like something. Like it’s their recipe to own. I like it just the way it is!
Just tried it today here in Northern Ireland. Absolutely beautiful, added some Italian mixed herbs instead of Oregano and also added some Bisto gravy granules (UK thing) to thicken it up as I put a bit too much stock in. If people are worried about draining the fat then buy leaner meat. Used 5% fat ground beef or mince as we call it here ! Will be recommending it to family in Byron Centre Michigan!
Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed it.
I love it just the way it is and the talk about getting high priced meet well it’s called poor mans stew for a reason and it’s the best
I am sorry for the loss of your husband. I to have lost mine.Blessed be the person that gave you a slow cooker. I now have a new partner, but we are both on a pension, every penny counts. I live in Australia and am always looking for cheap, economical meals.
Thankyou for this one
Super easy and I followed suggestions of beef broth, stewed tomatoes & slurry corn starch. Added frozen peas 30 min. Before serving