Favorite Hamburger Stew

Name: Favorite Hamburger Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: about 5 batches (15 cups total).
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 2 medium onions, chopped; 4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, undrained; 8 medium carrots, thinly sliced; 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced; 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed; 2 cups water; 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice; 1 to 2 tablespoons salt; 1 to 2 teaspoons pepper; ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT (for each batch of stew):; 1 cup water

I got this recipe from a woman at our church, Lois Henry, when I needed a way to use up our bounty of home-canned tomatoes. My husband loves it, and I like that it's easy to warm up for a carefree dinner in the winter months. —Marcia Clay, Truman, Minnesota

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, undrained
8 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 to 2 tablespoons salt
1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT (for each batch of stew):
1 cup water

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, water, rice, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.
Uncover; simmer 20-30 minutes longer or until thickened. Freeze in 3-cup portions for up to 3 months.
To use frozen stew: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Transfer to a saucepan; add water. Cook until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 165 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 30mg cholesterol, 584mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 12g protein.

Originally published as Hamburger Stew in Quick Cooking November/December 2003

Reviews

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Average Rating:

cinderbe

Feb 11, 2018

can you reduce the sodium content?
SASSYANGIE

Jan 13, 2018

I love how good and easy this Is. It also freezes well. The only thing I added was an Envelope of onion soup mix. It really enhanced the flavor.
houstonmomof4

Oct 23, 2017

Very good comfort food! Next time, though, I will add more potatoes. It makes a lot so we planned on freezing some of the leftovers but we ate it all up before that happened. Even my 16 month old grandson loved it.
Maribel

Oct 13, 2017

My kids are picky eaters and they love it :-)I will make it again.
PKG14

Feb 21, 2017

This is very good! I'll make again!
recipehound54

Jan 10, 2017

I made this because I had the ingredients on hand and because it looked quick and easy to throw together. I didn't expect 5-star taste--was I wrong! This is delicious comfort food. It was very tasty as made according to directions; I had about half a serving as a taste test and had to go back for another full serving. I would love to see how a few substitutions as suggested by other reviewers might change the dish. Beef broth instead of water should give a richer flavor and V-8 would give it a little extra kick as would a bit of garlic. It also is a dish that is very healthy for diabetics and anyone who is carb conscious. Whether made as is or enhanced with other ingredients, this recipe is a keeper for my files!!
rmlf1

Dec 4, 2016

wow, my mom used to make this all the time! but w/o the rice. and she rolled the ground beef in little meatballs and called it meatball soup!
nursesourpus

Oct 6, 2016

We loved this stew but did add some garlic and beef broth to it. It was delicious
annrms

Sep 27, 2016

DH made this stew. He made one change in that he used bear meat instead of beef. It is a definite keeper recipe. It's hearty and filling. When he makes soup, chili, or stew he adds some beer or wine replacing some of the liquid. In this case, he used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup vermouth instead of the 1 cup of water called for. Will make this recipe again!
frajo110

Sep 19, 2016

Tried this stew this evening and it was great. Just added a cup of water. Will make it again.