Description
Witches Brew Stew is a hearty and flavorful slow-cooked dish combining Italian sausage, ground beef, savory vegetables, and fragrant seasonings. This comforting stew features playful ‘pumpkin’-shaped carrots and mushrooms with quirky ‘eyes,’ simmered in a rich beef broth with tomatoes and a hint of red wine vinegar for depth. Perfect for cozy dinners, this stew melds robust meats and garden vegetables into a satisfying, soul-warming meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meats
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
Vegetables
- 1 3-ounce package of shallots, diced
- 1 8-ounce package of large white mushrooms, sliced in half
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into "pumpkin" shapes
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 of a 1.5 pounds bag of baby gemstone potatoes, halved
Seasonings and Liquids
- 2 1-ounce packets of onion soup mix, divided
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1 14-ounce can Italian-style petite diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Brown the Meats: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the Italian sausage, lean ground beef, diced shallots, and one packet of onion soup mix. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently until the meats are thoroughly browned and cooked through.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the meat cooks, slice the mushrooms in half and create ‘eyes’ by poking each rounded side with a chopstick or toothpick. Peel the carrots and cut two triangular wedges out of one side of each carrot to replicate the shape of a pumpkin, then slice them accordingly.
- Transfer Meat to Slow Cooker: Once the meat is cooked, transfer it to a large slow cooker, leaving any excess grease in the skillet.
- Sear the Vegetables: Add the prepared mushrooms, pumpkin-shaped carrots, chopped celery, and halved potatoes to the same skillet with the reserved grease. Heat over medium-high, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes to begin searing and developing flavor.
- Add Vegetables to Slow Cooker: Transfer the seared vegetables to the slow cooker with the meat, then sprinkle the remaining packet of onion soup mix evenly over the vegetables.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the beef broth, canned Italian-style petite diced tomatoes, and red wine vinegar. Stir gently to combine all ingredients evenly within the slow cooker.
- Cook the Stew: Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or on low heat for 4-6 hours, until the vegetables are tender and easy to pierce with a fork.
- Serve: Ladle the hot Witches Brew Stew into bowls and enjoy the warm, rich flavors that make this dish perfect for a comforting meal.
Notes
- For a thicker stew, uncover the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes to allow liquid to reduce slightly.
- Feel free to add other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips for extra heartiness.
- Adjust the red wine vinegar amount to taste for a more or less tangy finish.
- To reduce fat, drain excess grease after browning the meats before adding to the slow cooker.
- This stew is excellent served with crusty bread or over buttered noodles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
