Crockpot Poor Man's Stew

The best crockpot poor man's stew doesn't need fancy ingredients, just a few small habits I've picked up over years of weeknight dinners. One pound of ground beef, a few potatoes, and some carrots turn into a thick, savory pot that feeds everyone at my table. It costs very little to make, but nobody at dinner would ever guess that.

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• Ingredients
• Top Tips for Making Crockpot Poor Man's Stew
• How to Make Slow Cooker Poor Man's Stew
• Storage
• FAQs
• Recipe

Nobody knows who made the first pot of poor man's stew, but the name tells you most of the story. It's widely tied to the Great Depression, when a pound of hamburger meat had to feed a whole family.

Cooks stretched it with potatoes and onions, which were cheap and could keep for months when stored well.

Over the years, poor man's stew picked up a few other names, like hamburger stew, cowboy stew, and shipwreck stew. It shared the same thrifty roots as the poor man's meal: a potato-and-onion skillet from that same decade.

It never really went away, and today it still saves dinner in plenty of kitchens, including mine. 

As for the flavor, browned ground beef, soft onion, and garlic give the broth a savory, meaty base. Then tomato paste adds a gentle tang and deep red color, while the carrots sweeten as they cook. Meanwhile, a little Italian seasoning keeps the whole pot from tasting plain.

By the end, the potatoes have soaked it all up and turned soft and creamy. That's why it lands on our table as often as my Poor Man's Casserole, which uses the same cheap staples in a baking dish. 

My kids ask for this more than almost anything else I make, mostly because of the potatoes. Nothing in it is spicy or strange, so even the pickiest eater at my table finishes the bowl.

Unlike a traditional beef stew with stew meat, this one uses ground beef, so there's no pricey cut to sear. It became a family favorite fast. It's also every bit as budget-friendly as the name suggests.

Of all my slow cooker recipes, this is the easy dinner I lean on most during our long Montreal winters. I brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in the morning, toss everything in the crock pot, and forget about it until dinner.

On a cold winter night, it tastes like something that took real effort. My Italian Tortellini Soup with Ground Beef is our lighter soup night, but this stew wins whenever I let the kids vote.

If you need a comforting stew on a night when time is short, this is the one I'd point you to first. You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make poor man's stew, and the slow cooker handles the rest. 

Ingredients

Ground beef gives the stew its meaty base and makes it filling enough for a full dinner. Yellow potatoes hold their shape through the long cook time without turning to mush. Carrots add a bright pop of color and stay just soft enough to cut with a spoon. Diced tomatoes bring juicy bites and a good share of the broth. Tomato paste gives that broth its body, so it clings to every spoonful. 

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

How to Make Slow Cooker Poor Man's Stew

This slow cooker poor man's stew recipe gives you a thick, hearty stew packed with fresh vegetables and ground beef in a savory tomato broth. It's one of my go-to easy stew recipes for busy weeknights, especially with crusty bread to soak up every last drop. Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Brown the Ground Beef with Onion and Garlic

• I use lean ground beef since it leaves less grease behind and keeps the broth from tasting heavy.
• Let the onion and garlic soften and turn golden, because that browning is what makes a ground beef stew taste rich, not flat.

Drain and Add the Ground Beef to the Crockpot

• If you'd rather use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef, you may barely need to drain it.
  • Leaner ground meat like chicken makes the pot taste lighter, a little closer to a chicken stew.

Layer in the Vegetables, Tomatoes, and Broth

• Stir the ingredients in the slow cooker so the tomato paste melts into the broth instead of clumping together.
  • I sometimes skip peeling since the skins are so thin.
• If you use water in place of beef broth, add an extra pinch of seasoning so the stew doesn't taste watered down.

Stir in the Frozen Peas

• There's no need to thaw them first, since the hot stew warms them through in minutes.
  • Adding them any earlier turns them gray and mushy, so I set a timer on my phone.

Top with Parsley and Serve

• Taste the broth first, then add more salt or pepper if needed. My kids love this recipe with a slice of buttered bread for dunking.

Storage

Move leftovers out of the pot rather than leaving the stew in the slow cooker to cool, since the insert holds heat for hours. Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

The potatoes keep soaking up broth as they sit, so add a splash of beef broth or water when you reheat, then taste for seasoning. I often make this stew on the weekend, and it turns into an easy meal for weekday lunches.

This stew is hearty and freezes well for up to three months. I like to freeze a few single portions for nights when cooking feels like too much. The peas soften a little after freezing, but the rest of this delicious stew holds up nicely. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then warm it on the stove until it bubbles.

FAQs

Recipe