I am always trying to come up with new ways to use ground beef. It’s such a frugal, family friendly and easy ingredient to use and stretch. But sometimes I feel like our ground beef routine gets in a rut.
Getting creative with ground beef has provided great results in the past. So tonight when I wanted something a little different, I didn’t hesitate to try.
I’ll admit that this meal isn’t necessarily that creative or unique, but it is something different for our family. Everyone loved it too. The Italian flavor really added a great kick to this dish.
Italian Ground Beef Stew
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. black pepper
- 1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 c. beef stock
- 1 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
- 1 – 2 lbs. small yellow potatoes, quartered
- 2 c. frozen mixed veggies
- 1 T. Italian seasoning
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1. In a stockpot or large saucepan, brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Season with salt, black pepper and crushed pepper flakes. Drain.
2. Add beef stock, can tomatoes, potatoes, mixed veggies and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer at least until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. (This can definitely be simmered all day or even put together in a crockpot for the whole day.)
3. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in tomato paste. Let simmer uncovered and serve.
NOTE – The stew will seem more like soup before adding the tomato paste. The tomato paste will thicken it up to a familiar stew consistency. But if you’d prefer a simple soup dinner instead, just omit the tomato paste.
This new ground beef option definitely worked for us!
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