Fall’s on the way, so it’s time for some good recipes to fix on those cool evenings. I’m thrilled to find recipes that are EASY, QUICK, and GOOD. Have you ever noticed how many times cowboys in films and books sit down to a hearty bowl of stew?
Growing up, my mom made a lot of vegetable soup, but never made stew. I don’t know why, because I have seen my dad eat stew elsewhere, but for some reason, Mom just never did make it. I learned to make it because my husband mentioned he’d like some. My early attempts were not the best. BUT…I found those wonderful McCormick Beef Stew seasoning packages with directions on the back and voila—I was suddenly a gourmet stew-maker!
I found this recipe, though, and boy, does it look great! It’s different from my usual recipe, but looks fabulously tasty. I will be going to the store this weekend for what I DON’T have, but many of the ingredients are every-day items we all probably have on hand in our pantry.
TEXAS COWBOY STEW from “Cooking Professionally” website
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 packages kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans of peeled and diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans of pinto beans, with liquid
- 1 (15.2-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile pepper, with liquid
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
- 4 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Step 1
In a dutch oven, sauteé the onion over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until there’s visibly no pink left. Add sliced sausage.
Step 2
Pour in both the diced tomatoes & tomatoes with chiles, pinto beans, potatoes, corn, and veggies. Stir everything until well mixed, then add spices.
Step 3
Add the water, bring to a boil, and let simmer for one hour.
Step 4
Serve with your favorite cornbread recipe!
(Recipe and photo credit to Cooking Professionally)
Do you like stew? If so, what’s your favorite recipe for stew? What do you like to eat with it?
My mom’s vegetable beef stew was really good. I haven’t had stew for a long time.
My mom didn’t make a lot of soup and stew, I think because my dad didn’t like it much. She always kept Campbell’s soup on hand for me and for her, also, because she loved the split pea kind and as a kid I thought that was horrible! But I loved chicken noodle soup , tomato, and also vegetable soup. Luckily, my hubby does like stew but is not a huge fan of soup. :(((
I grew up eating Dinty Moore beef stew, often times served over rice. My children never enjoyed stews or soups- so I never made them.
Oh, that’s a great idea, Danielle. My mom never had that on hand, but it sure would have been a good quick dinner on those nights when my dad was gone out in the oilfields. It was always just Mom and me there on those nights and usually fish sticks, or a hamburger, etc.
I like making beef stew. I use a small chuck roast, cut into small pieces, and add cut up onions, potatoes, diced peas and carrots, and salt-pepper. I cook just the beef first for about an hour until tender, then add the vegetables until done.
Connie, that sounds great. We have a Homeland grocery store not far from our house that has some of the very best meat–it’s the only place I go to buy meat now–and they have good stew meat–it’s lean and not all fatty, etc. So I usually just buy that. I haven’t made stew in a while and I’m thinking it’s about time! LOL
I used to love stew. Haven’t made it in a bit. Does this freeze you think?
I have not tried to freeze it, Debra, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I have frozen the stew I usually make for my husband and it was fine. I am really suddenly hungry for stew! LOL
Yes I enjoy stew. I make mine with stewing meat (beef) and add potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and carrots. Before serving I thicken it into a gravy. I serve it over homemade biscuits.
Oh my gosh, Karijean, that sounds sooooo wonderful. My mother-in-law taught me to make the biscuits she always made from scratch, and those were really good. I have not made those in years, though. I need to get back to that again!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. My husband loves stew. I love soup. Soooo, I make both. LOL
Lori, “you have chosen well!” LOL Mine’s not a big soup eater but he will eat stew and loves it. I don’t understand it because his mom made some killer vegetable soup, but he just never liked it. The only vegetable soup he’ll eat is Campbell’s Vegetable Beef. LOL
Good morning, Thank you for sharing your stew recipe. Yes, we love stew, my husband makes some pretty good stew. He adds diced tomatoes, baby carrots, onion, potatoes and celery to it and different spices , he makes corn bread to have on the side. Have a great day and a great week.
LUCKY YOU, ALICIA! My husband would not know where to begin in the kitchen, to make anything! LOL WOW! I would love it if he just had ONE THING he could make well that he could do once in a while. LOL You have a great week, too, my friend.
Good morning! I love how easy the recipe seems, will definitely give it a try, I love stew or soups on a cold day and with the fall and winter season approaching its a perfect time to start digging out those soup/stew recipes 🙂
It is pretty easy. And it’s different than the other stew I make, which is the first stew I ever did RIGHT. LOL My original stew is the normal stew meat, potatoes, carrots, and I put in some peas at the very end. My husband and I both love that, thanks to the seasoning packet in the grocery store for STEW. LOL Pretty darn easy, too. But this is a really nice different switch-up.
That looks delicious.
I usually make a Pioneer Woman recipe, but sometimes I DIY it.
Hi Denise, you know I would make a lot more different types of soups and stews in the winter if my husband was as crazy about them as I am. My daughter likes that kind of thing, but my son doesn’t really like them much either (like my husband). But Hubby does love stew over soup, so that’s what I usually make. Though, sometimes, I just have to make myself a big pot of vegetable soup and he won’t even try it.
Mom didn’t make many stews, she enjoyed soups. Daddy, though, made Brunswick stew that was soooooooo good!! Once he finally “perfected” the recipe he liked, he made it every Fall/Winter!!
Trudy, now I am intrigued. I’ve gotta look up Brunswick stew and see how it’s made. I’ve heard of it before but never knew anyone that made it (that I know of anyhow). I bet it was really good after your dad working on it to get it just right.
I can eat stew and it is fine, but I don’t just choose to make stew, ( we have biscuits with stew).
Bridgette, so many have mentioned that, I am going to have to try it. I haven’t made ‘from scratch” biscuits for a good while now, but my m-i-l gave me a good recipe I used to make all the time, so I must get back to it as a change from the cornbread!
Fall just speaks stew to me. And soups. I love those on a chilly day. I’ve already made my chicken vegetable soup in the crockpot when our weather turned chilly. I just couldn’t wait another day. And of course, I also made cornbread. Yummy!
Hey, Linda! Thanks for stopping by today! I love both soups and stews so much–you can’t go wrong with either one, in my book! And yes, especially on those fall/winter days–they always seem to taste better then, don’t they? LOL I love chicken vegetable soup, but don’t have a good recipe. I would be the only one eating it here, but it sure does sound marvelous!
We love stew, especially as the season gets cooler. I make mine with stew beef cut in chunks, or a small beef roast, carrots, potatoes and onions. I use a recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook. I make mine in an instant pot so it doesn’t take as long.
Oh, Sarah, I have that cookbook! I’ll have to get it out and try it. I’ve never made anything out of that cookbook that wasn’t really good.
We love stew, especially as the season gets cooler. I make mine with stew beef cut in chunks, or a small beef roast, carrots, potatoes and onions. I use a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I make mine in an instant pot so it doesn’t take as long.
No not a stew eater then I don’t like most vegetables but like seeing recipes for it because even though I won’t eat it the recipe makes it sound so good
Crystal, my husband is not much of a vegetable person either, but thankfully, he does like the basics–corn, potatoes, carrots, peas. Not big on green beans or anything like what we ate a lot of here in Oklahoma in the summer time–squash, okra, tomatoes, and wouldn’t touch eggplant with a ten-foot pole! LOL But he does like pinto beans so that’s a big plus. My son was a very picky eater when he was younger. I despaired of him ever eating anything but McDonald’s sausage biscuits and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches–NOW? He loves every vegetable there is and cooks them all different kinds of ways. LOL I never would have expected that in a million years!
Yum, this sounds good. I will be trying it when things cool off. My mom kept it simple, just cubed beef, cubed potatoes, diced onions, and cut up carrots. Brown the beef, then add some flour to coat it. Add beef stock and water along with all the vegetables and bring to a slow boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender. The sauce will be slightly thickened. I have another recipe I found many years ago that we all enjoy. It uses smoked sausage cut into chunks, butternut squash, potatoes, probably carrots. canned whole tomatoes with the juice, salt and pepper to taste. I didn’t check the recipe, but that sounds about right.
Actually I think stew is a bit like soup. You can pretty much throw in what you want. If it tastes good, nobody is going to complain.
Hi Patricia! I’m one of those people that will make chili during the summer months, and I’ll eat soup during the summer, but for some reason I wait until cooler weather for making stew! ? It just seems like a fall/winter thing to eat. But you’re right, you can make it so many different ways that are so good!
Beef stew or maybe lamb are my favorite stews. Mom did make them but my twist is using recipes that call for using the slow cooker. I’ve even tried the pressure cooker. Nowadays, due to our nightshade sensitivities, we substitute other ingredients for tomatoes and potatoes.
Oh, Mary— that must be so hard to give up potatoes and tomatoes. I don’t know if I could do it. Tomatoes are my favorite food. I could actually do without chocolate easier than tomatoes. lol! What do you substitute? Maybe eggplant for potatoes? I’m curious! This is truly ‘food for thought’! Thanks for stopping by!