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This Hamburger Stew with Rice is an easy, economical dinner option that makes use of simple ingredients. A wholesome, family-friendly meal that is guaranteed to satisfy!
I had planned to tuck this recipe away and share it with you all come fall. But, then circumstances changed.
Even though spring has sprung and I would typically be switching gears to all things light, bright, and spring-like, I think this year we need to keep comfort foods going a bit longer. With families home together, recipes like this one pot Hamburger Stew are an excellent choice.
Unless you have a huge group in your house, you’re guaranteed to have leftovers and this tasty stew reheats beautifully. It also freezes really well so you might opt to serve half for dinner and freeze the other half for an easy future meal.
As much as I love my Classic Stovetop Beef Stew and Instant Pot Beef Stew, Hamburger Stew is an inexpensive way to satisfy your stew cravings . Instead of the beef chuck called for in traditional stew recipes, this easy beef stew calls for less expensive ground beef. It’s bulked up even more with rice and includes the typical mix of veggies and potatoes.
I think the hamburger and rice combo makes it appealing to kiddos and adults, alike.
How to Make Hamburger Stew with Rice
The first step is to gather your ingredients and prep your veggies.
Add a little olive oil to a Dutch oven and then add the ground beef, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the beef is broken up and completely cooked through.
Add some tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne pepper. The amount of cayenne called for will not make this a spicy dish. It just adds a little “oomph”. You can omit it altogether or add more if you’re group likes a little heat.
Add a can of whole tomatoes, low-sodium beef broth, carrots, celery, baby potatoes, bell pepper, and uncooked long grain rice. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to LOW, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.
The whole tomatoes will be easy to break up with a spoon after the initial cooking time.
Uncover and use the spoon to crush any remaining large pieces of tomato and stir in the frozen peas and parsley. There is no need to thaw the peas, just throw them right in and they’ll cook quickly in the hot stew.
Allow the Hamburger Stew to simmer, uncovered, just until it thickens a little. If the mixture is thicker than you’d like, just add a little additional broth.
This Hamburger Stew with Rice is a one pot meal in itself. Serve it up with some dinner rolls or French bread and you’re good to go.
Kitchen Tip
To freeze soups and stews, transfer the completely cooled recipe into freezer-safe zippered plastic storage bags. Push out the excess air and close the bags. Lay them flat in your freezer until frozen solid and then the bags can be stacked to save space. Be sure to label the bags with the contents and date. Optionally, any freezer-safe, airtight container can be used.
I am blessed to be in a position to continue working from my home kitchen and will continue to try to bring you the kind of recipes you need right now. Leave a comment or drop me a line via email if you have any special requests.
Valerie’s Kitchen will be donating a percentage of profits to charities that are helping aid families in need during this challenging time. This month that charity is Feeding America, our nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.
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Hamburger Stew
This Hamburger Stew with rice is an easy, economical dinner option that makes use of simple ingredients. A wholesome, family-friendly meal that is guaranteed to satisfy!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
- 5 cups low sodium-beef broth, divided
- 2 large carrots, 1/2-inch slices
- 2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 pound baby potatoes, halved or quartered (like Little Potato Company)
- 1 cup diced bell pepper (I used a mixture of green and red)
- 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Add olive oil to a Dutch oven and place over MEDIUM heat. Add ground beef, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring to break up the beef until beef is crumbled and no longer pink. Drain well. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and cayenne. Add the tomato paste and stir well to combine. Add the tomatoes, 4 cups of the broth (reserve remaining amount for later), carrots, celery, potatoes, bell pepper, and rice.
Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to LOW, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.
- Uncover and use the spoon to crush any remaining large pieces of tomato. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley. Allow the stew to simmer 10 minutes longer or until thickened to desired consistency. If the mixture is too thick, add as much of the remaining broth as desired.
Recipe Notes
Whole tomatoes will soften and be easier to smash after they've simmered for awhile. Use the back of a large spoon to press them against the side of the pot to help break them down.
Freezer Instructions:
To freeze soups and stews, transfer the completely cooled recipe into freezer-safe zippered plastic storage bags. Push out the excess air and close the bags. Lay them flat in your freezer until frozen solid and then the bags can be stacked to save space. Be sure to label the bags with the contents and date. Optionally, stew can be stored in any freezer safe, airtight container.
To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water or broth if necessary.
frank says
It’s called picadillo. You just made it slightly different.
Wanda L Carter says
True Picadillo has green olives, raisins, cinnamon & cilantro in it.
Valerie says
This is just an easy Hamburger Stew and is not at all intended to be an authentic Picadillo.
Bonnie Araujo says
Hi Valerie. I was and still am a big fan of yours. Can I ask a favor? I and my friends are not into spicy or even mildly spicy food. We love flavor but not the heat. Can you do more recipes for those of us that just want great comfort food? Love you. Big hug.
Valerie says
Thank you, Bonnie. It’s very easy to modify any recipe to be mild by just eliminating the ingredient that adds heat. In many cases this is crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne. If you are specifically referring to this recipe, it isn’t spicy at all. I hope that helps.
JaneL says
I’ve been making this for years, and it’s a comforting and filling soup/stew! I like to add a can of Rotel to it for an easy, sinus-clearing boost.
AA says
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
Valerie says
I can’t say I’ve tried it in the slow cooker. Let me know if you give it a whirl!
Valerie Q. says
Outstanding stew! Used extra carrots because I love carrots. Only had a red pepper to use. Love how the rice thickens the stew. Will enjoy this with buttermilk corn bread. Yum.
Valerie says
So glad to hear it worked out so well for you! Buttermilk cornbread is the perfect choice to serve with this. Yum!