Poor Man's Stew

Very easy to throw together, this full flavoured slow cooker stew is perfect for when you're pressed for time yet looking for a delicious home-cooked meal.

 
This stew pairs wonderfully with a slice of warm, crusty bread or a simple side salad, making it a complete meal.

You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or use beef stew meat for a chunkier texture. To make it more filling, stir in a can of drained kidney beans or peas towards the end of cooking. And for extra vegetables, throw in some frozen green beans or corn in the last hour of cooking.

1 lb ground beef
4 large potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme

• In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until it's no longer pink. 
• Drain excess fat.
• In the slow cooker, combine the beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic.
• Pour in the beef broth and diced tomatoes
• Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme. 
• Stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
• Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. 
• Serve hot.

Recipe: Cooktop Cove

Mexicali Hash Brown Taco Casserole

This hashbrown taco casserole is a meat and potatoes dinner baked in one dish. A Tex-Mex twist on Shepherd’s Pie.

1lb 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper divided
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper divided
1/2 cup corn
1 pkg taco seasoning
10.5 oz condensed tomato soup
3 oz low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion divided
2 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
15 oz frozen hashbrown potatoes thawed

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Lightly grease or spray a 2 or 2 1/2 quart oblong casserole dish.
• Brown ground beef, half of the bell peppers and onion in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Drain fat from pan, reduce heat.
• Add the undiluted tomato soup, corn and the cream cheese. 
• Stir until well combined and no chunks of cream cheese are visible. 
• Stir in taco seasoning and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. 
• Turn mixture into prepared pan, spreading mixture evenly across the bottom.
• In a separate bowl, combine the defrosted hash browns, the remaining peppers, salt, pepper and remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.
• Top ground beef with potato mixture, pressing it down slightly.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned and crispy on top.

Recipe: The Midnight Baker