hamburger

Slow-Cooker Hobo Stew

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We affectionately call this hobo stew because it’s not fancy food and, to us, that’s the best kind.  My son loves this stew so much he requested it for his birthday dinner last year.  What kind of 7-year-old requests beef and vegetable stew for his birthday?!  Mine apparently.  He eats salads without being forced, as well.  He’s a good eater, that kid.

salt_20180908_193945_519I love to prep this at night and put it in the crockpot in the morning before work.  Nothing like walking in the door to have a home-cooked meal waiting for us.

My slow-cooker (this one!) has a stovetop setting, which is nice because I can brown the meat in the slow-cooker itself.  No extra dirty pans!

My favorite way to serve this is with cornbread crumbled and stirred right in.  If you’re a purist, it’s also good all by itself!  Enjoy!  ~Erin

Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ lb. 96% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 1 ½ lb. peeled and diced potatoes
  • 12 oz. baby carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 (15 or 16 oz.) can whole kernel sweet corn
  • 2 (15 or 16 oz. each) cans cut green beans
  • 32 oz. box of fat free beef stock
  • 2 T. beef bouillon granules
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 T. flour
  • ½ T. cornstarch
  • 1 envelope (about 4 T.) dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ to 1 T. seasoned salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper

Ingredients: 

  1. Brown the beef with the diced onion over medium heat.
  2. When the meat is no longer pink, add garlic and cook until fragrant (just about 30 seconds).
  3. Add the flour and cornstarch to the beef mixture; stir until combined.
  4. Remove from heat and transfer to the pot of your slow cooker, if needed.*
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot: potatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, spices and soup mix, beef stock, bouillon, and water.
  6. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
  7. Serve with cornbread or crackers, if desired.

*You can also cook this in a large pot on the stove. Simply bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (stirring occasionally) until the carrots and potatoes are fork-tender.

WW Freestyle Info: This recipe makes approximately 12 servings. Each 10 oz. serving (1 ¼ cups) is 5 points.

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Hamburger Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy

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My husband loves beef.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that he’s a cattle rancher and was raised by cattle ranchers, or maybe it’s just a man thing.  Whatever the reason, he loves a good steak or burger.  Stands to reason that he would love this hamburger steak.  And he does.  We all do.  I’ve been making it for years and it always hits the spot!  Seasoned hamburger steak, smothered in caramelized onion brown gravy, and served over mashed potatoes… it’s country cooking at its finest.  ~Erin

Hamburger Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy

Ingredients:
  • 2 large yellow onions
  • 1 T. light butter (I use Land O’ Lakes Light)
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 T. dehydrated onion flakes
  • 1 tsp. dry ground mustard
  • 1 tsp. Wyler’s beef granules (or one crushed beef bouillon cube)
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 T. ketchup
  • ½ tsp. seasoned salt
  • ¼ c. Progresso garlic & herb seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 (0.87 oz.) package reduced sodium brown gravy mix (I like McCormick brand.)
  • 2 T. dry Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix
  • 2 cups water

Instructions: 

  1. Thinly slice the onions (I use my mandolin slicer).
  2. In a medium sized skillet, melt 1 T. light butter over low heat and add onions; stir them to coat them with the butter.
  3. Cook the onions over low heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. You can let them cook while you prepare the rest of the recipe, just don’t forget to stir them once in a while. (If you are making mashed potatoes, now is a good time to start those boiling too.) If the onions start to look too dry, give them a quick spray with the olive oil cooking spray.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ground beef, pepper, onion flakes, dry mustard, beef granules, Worcestershire, ketchup, seasoned salt, and seasoned breadcrumbs, until incorporated. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide into 4 patties. If you’d like to be precise, mine were exactly 4.6 ounces each.
  6. Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and cook the patties over medium heat on each side until brown and cooked through; set aside.
  7. Clean any residual oil from the pan with a paper towel.
  8. Add the dry gravy packet and 2 T. onion soup mix; whisk in water.
  9. Bring the gravy to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low.
  10. Add the caramelized onions and the hamburger patties to the gravy; simmer for 3-5 minutes until gravy is thickened and the meat is heated through.
  11. Serve over mashed potatoes.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 4 servings. One hamburger steak patty with half a cup of onion gravy is 8 points.