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If groceries feel higher than ever, you’re not alone. That’s why I love hobo stew. It’s cozy, hearty, and made from whatever’s in the pantry. It turns simple ingredients into a meal everyone will love.
The Best Parts About This Recipe
- Easy one-pot meal: Everything cooks in one pot for quick prep and easy cleanup.
- Flexible ingredients: Swap in whatever you have, frozen veggies, canned tomatoes, or leftover meat.
- Budget-friendly dinner: Made with inexpensive ingredients that stretch to feed the whole family.
Hobo Stew Ingredients
- Swap the Meat: Using stew meat? Simmer it with the veggies and broth for 1 hour, then add potatoes, peas, and corn. Cook 30 minutes more.
- Mix Up the Base: No tomato juice? Use V-8, tomato sauce, or tomato soup instead.
How to Make Hobo Stew
Hobo stew (Mulligan stew) is all about using what you’ve got and making it work. Just toss what you have into the pot. It’s similar to my cowboy soup, but heartier and with different seasonings for a whole different flavor.
- Cook Beef: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef, and cook and crumble until it begins to brown and is no longer pink.
- Add Veggies: Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and minced garlic.
- Cook Veggies: Cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add & Simmer: Add Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, canned diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato juice, chopped potatoes, frozen corn, frozen peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer hobo stew for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Hobo stew is meant to add “what you got to the pot”. Use what you have in your fridge, freezer, or pantry. Frozen, fresh, or canned vegetables will work.
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Hobo Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion about half a large onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 cloves
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes not drained
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups tomato juice or V-8
- 2 cups chopped potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oiland 1 ½ pounds ground beef and cook and crumble until it begins to brown and is no longer pink.
- Add 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup chopped carrots, 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, and 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, 2 cups tomato juice, 2 cups chopped potatoes, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 cup frozen peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender.
Notes
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Awesome meal on a budget!!! I used hamburg and canned veggies instead of frozen, threw in a few more spices. Served warm corn bread on the side!!! Delicious.
From the old pensioner – I’m definitely going to make the Hobo stew (because I like stews)
Can you do this in crock pot and for how long
To make the hobo stew in a slow cooker, brown the ground beef in a pan and add it and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Not olive oil, regular vege oil…
Could we also have the vegetables specified by weight? I am always intrigued by the thought of diced potatoes by the cup…
You are welcome to use vegetable oil if you prefer. The weight for the potatoes is about 1-1.5 pounds or 2 medium potatoes.
So, to be clear, you don’t drain the grease from the cooked ground beef?
You can drain the ground beef if desired, I did not drain mine.
Hi, can this be made in a slow cooker?
To make the hobo stew in a slow cooker, brown the ground beef in a pan and add it and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
I love to make hobo stew. Thought I had made up the name. I use it to clean out the freezer. You have a little bit of this, a little bit of that and I put it in a slow cooker and make a stew. I even was making it one day when my husbands friend stopped by. I said you are happy to stay for dinner but all I made was “Hobo Stew”. He said it was one of the best stews he ever had (he could of course being polite) but ever time I make it somehow it turns out good.