Witches Brew Stew
72 Comments Sep 11, 2023
Updated Aug 28, 2025
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Make this spooky witches brew stew for a cozy autumn meal. Made with hot sausage and beef, plus fun veggie cutouts like skull mushrooms and pumpkin carrots! This recipe tastes like an ultra jazzed-up hamburger soup! Try it this Halloween, along with garlic bread, and topped with parmesan cheese.
This recipe came about from a soup I saw from a member in a recipe group on facebook. Her name is Juanita and her soup has adorable carrot pumpkins and she also uses hot sausage in her soup which I think is a wonderful idea. I had to make a variation of it before Halloween and share it with you! If you want to see her version, she calls it “Black Magic Soup”.
Key Ingredients
Hot sausage – I use Jimmy Dean hot breakfast sausage. Please use mild if you do not like spicy foods. Or you can use Italian sausage if desired. (We use sausage in our Slow Cooker Sausage Lentil Soup recipe.
Ground Beef – I cook the ground beef and the hot sausage together in the same pan. Crumble then drain off the fat.
Vegetables – Carrots, mushrooms, gold potatoes, garlic, leeks and celery.
Italian herb seasoning – This is a mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, savory, rosemary, basil and sage and is found along with the other spices at the store. Use a mixture of what you have at home if you do not have this herb mix.
Beef broth
Campbell’s Tomato Soup – We use this instead of tomato sauce, has a better flavor
Campbell’s French Onion Soup – This is the magic in the soup! Adds a caramelized onion flavor.
How to Make Witches Brew Stew
Step One – In a large skillet on the stove top set to medium high heat, add the ground beef and hot breakfast sausage.
Step Two – Cook and crumble, drain off any fat.
Step Three – Add to the slow cooker.
Step Four – For the carrot pumpkins; first make two straight slits for the stem, then cut 2 triangles from the sides of the stem and remove them. Cut into slices and you now have pumpkins!
Step Five – Add the remaining vegetables, pour over the tomato soup and French onion soup. WAIT TO ADD THE MUSHROOMS.
Step Six – Pour over the broth and cook on HIGH For four hours.
Step Seven – For the skull mushrooms; Use a standard sized straw and poke eye holes, the piece you poke out should come out in the straw. Make 2 slits for the nose and I also make slits on the stem of the mushroom, to make it look like a collar.
Step Eight – Then add the mushrooms to the slow cooker and cook for 10 minutes longer. I don’t cook the mushrooms very long so the hold their shape.
Step Nine – Serve and enjoy!
What do I serve Halloween Soup
- Garlic bread, cornbread or buttered french bread.
- Topped with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
- Saltine crackers or oyster crackers.
Recipe FAQs
Note that the ground hot sausage really makes this meal hearty and decadent. If you want to use another type of meat the flavor will be altered and you may need to add more salt and seasonings. You can use chicken breasts, ground turkey or kielbasa if desired.
Yes! You can freeze this soup before OR after cooking with no issues. Wait to add the mushrooms though if you are freezing before cooking.
No! If you are short on time, just cut them as usual, will still be a great meal.
Yes! This can be doubled in a 6 quart or larger crockpot.
Featured Comment
“Great recipe! Will make again. Used turkey sausage instead. Thank you for the recipe!”
– Mariann
Slow Cooker Witches Brew Stew
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. hot breakfast sausage, I use Jimmy Dean (use original if you don't like spicy)
- 3-4 large carrots, sliced then cut into pumpkin shapes
- 2 cups small diced gold potatoes
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 1 cup diced leeks, (1 large leek)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning, This is found with the other spices at the store. It has oregano, marjoram, savory, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage. If you do not have this, use a mixture of what you do have.
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 10.5 oz. Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup
- 10.5 oz. Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1.5 cups water
- 32 oz. box beef broth
- 10 mushrooms, (cut in half, then skull face cut into it, see directions)
Instructions
- NOTE- wait to add the mushrooms until the end of cooking time.In a large skillet on the stove top set to medium high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage together. Crumble and drain off fat. Add to the slow cooker.
- For the carrot pumpkins; first make two straight slits for the stem, then cut 2 triangles from the sides of the stem and remove them. Cut them into slices and add to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the mushrooms.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- When the cooking time is near done. Prepare the mushrooms. Cut them down the middle length wise, making them each into two pieces. Use a straw to poke out the eyes and use a knife to make two slits for a nose. I also make slits on the stem.
- Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker after the cooking time is done. Let the mushrooms cook for 10 minutes along with the rest of the soup. I add the mushrooms at the end of the cooking time so they will keep their shape.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup, Hamburger Soup, and Poor Man’s Stew are hearty, budget-friendly meals made with ground beef, veggies, and rich broth.
Brunswick Stew and Camp Stew bring bold, Southern-inspired flavor with a mix of meats, vegetables, and a tangy tomato base. If you want something cheesy, try my Slow Cooker French Onion Soup.
For something creamy and cozy, try Slow Cooker Chicken Stew, Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, or Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup—perfect for any night of the week.
This was super fun and delicious. I can see this being a new Halloween tradition. Thanks.
My grandsons loved the pumpkins and ghosts…said Yummy!
I made this last year! It was so good and everyone thought the carrots were so cute. My mushrooms didn’t look as good as yours.
Great idea for the kids!
I am ready to turn the crock pot on. I cut about 10 pumpkins out but didn’t have the time for more. If the soup is yummy then maybe next year I love Halloween so hope this soup is really good as I would love to make this an October tradition.
I have made this recipe the last three Octobers now and my daughter absolutely loves it. It can be a pain trying to get the carrots into the cute little pumpkins but so worth it for my littles. I also have 5 month twins who will love this tradition once they can have the soup with us. I’m so happy I found your recipe and so happy it became such a cherished tradition and memory for our family. ☠️
I will make this for 25 people, so I will triple everything and cook it in a 10-qt crock pot for the first time. Also, I want to cook it one day before serving it to guests. The stew will be stored in a cooler. Now, do I cook for seven hours? Warm the stew up on high for one hour, then add mushrooms while warming up, or wait for 45 minutes – + or cook mushrooms the first time around? If possible I would like any suggestions before Oct 25th. I will be cooking your recipe on Oct 29th. Thank you
It will take 2 hours or more to heat up that much soup (even on high), probably 2.5 hours. You probably could add the mushrooms right when you start warming up. Keep the lid on or it won’t heat up.
My grandsons are dairy allergic, but I think they would love this. However, the condensed French onion soup contains a derivative of cheddar cheese, which they obviously cannot consume. What can I use to substitute for this ingredient?
Campbell Brand has a beef consommé, you can see if that doesn’t have that cheese.
Love this recipe! Made it multiple times and I’ve played around with some substitutions. My favorite recommendation is to add chorizo to your sausage. Gives it great extra flavor!
What would the time be for an instant pot pressure cooker? Thanks!
I’m unsure for I have not tested it.
I made this witches brew last October when I went to see my grandson. Put it all in the crockpot except the mushrooms, went out to see pumpkins and stuff during day, got back and it was ready and delicious. Only thing I forgot was to add the mushrooms. Did make it again and remembered. Plan on making this every Halloween. Thanks.