Barley Beef Skillet

Name: Barley Beef Skillet
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean); 1/4 cup chopped onion; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth; 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce; 1 cup water; 2 small carrots, chopped; 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped; 1 small zucchini, chopped; 1 cup medium pearl barley; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Even my 3-year-old loves this family-favorite beef skillet. It's very filling, inexpensive and full of veggies. It's also really good spiced up with chili powder, cayenne or a dash of Tabasco. —Kit Tunstall, Boise, Idaho

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 small carrots, chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup medium pearl barley
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Add the broth, tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until barley is tender, 45-50 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 400 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 73mg cholesterol, 682mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 10g fiber), 30g protein.

Originally published as Barely Beef Skillet Supper in Healthy Cooking December/January 2011

Reviews

Click stars to rate

Average Rating:

pastiepie

Jan 20, 2019

I added a can of stewed tomatoes and some mushrooms
jcadreau

Oct 15, 2017

Replaced tomato with a can of Ro-Tel (drained), which added a perfect amount of heat. I also used tomato paste and adjusted the water. Perfecto!
ellimaye1

Mar 5, 2016

This was so easy and yummy! I added an extra tomato and used a 15 oz can of tomato sauce since that's what I had and just reduced the water. A keeper for sure!
TXmomma

Feb 26, 2013

Such a shame that the previous person posting said they through away the entire thing and likely wasted good food when that is so unnecessary. Rule of thumb: recipes are best used as merely a guideline and then to add to it your own tweaking of spices and flavors that you like. I added more garlic, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, paprika, bay leaf, and a few dashes of worcestershire. Hot garlic bread and green salad made it a great meal here.
Leawalsh

Jan 11, 2013

Sorry, but this just didn't work for us. I had my reservations before I made it but was persuaded by the high reviews. More reviews are needed to get a true picture. Italian seasoning just doesn't work here. Had to throw it all out.
i_like_pie

Jan 7, 2013

Made this tonight with ground turkey and 3 carrots and no zucchini. I did like the addition of the parmesan cheese as suggested. It's pretty tasty and filling for what seems to be a healthy meal.
wiscook

Aug 5, 2012

does need more spice, very easy, very good, I will try with ground turkey as some suggest.
arrader

Jul 25, 2012

Use quick cook barley, leave out water. Use can diced tomatoes next time...Good cold weather meal
Pinstripes

Mar 24, 2012

Loved it!
proesner

Mar 22, 2012

We loved this. Very tasty and easy to make.