Description
Slow Cooker Witches Brew Stew is a hearty and comforting Halloween-themed stew made with a savory blend of ground beef and hot breakfast sausage, tender gold potatoes, carrots shaped like pumpkins, celery, leeks, and a flavorful mix of condensed soups and beef broth. This spooky stew is slow-cooked to perfection, with skull-shaped mushrooms added at the end to keep their unique shapes. A perfect meal for fall gatherings or festive Halloween dinners.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meats
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean, original if you prefer less spicy)
Vegetables
- 3-4 large carrots, sliced and cut into pumpkin shapes
- 2 cups small diced gold potatoes
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 1 cup diced leeks (from 1 large leek)
- 10 mushrooms, halved and carved with skull face
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
Seasonings and Liquids
- 1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning (oregano, marjoram, savory, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage blend)
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 10.5 oz. Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup
- 10.5 oz. Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1.5 cups water
- 32 oz. box beef broth
Instructions
- Brown the meats: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and hot breakfast sausage together. Crumble the meat as it cooks, then drain off the fat thoroughly. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the carrot pumpkins: Take the carrots and make two straight slits at the top to form a stem. Cut two triangles from the sides of the stem and remove them to create a pumpkin shape. Slice the carrots into these pumpkin shapes and add them to the slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the diced gold potatoes, celery, diced leeks, minced garlic, Italian herb seasoning, salt, pepper, Campbell’s French Onion Soup, Campbell’s Tomato Soup, water, and beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Cook the stew: Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 8 hours to allow the flavors to meld and ingredients to soften.
- Prepare the mushrooms: Near the end of the cooking time, prepare the mushrooms by cutting each one lengthwise into halves. Using a straw, poke out eye holes and use a knife to make two slits for the nose. Optionally, make additional slits on the stem area to give a skull-like appearance.
- Add mushrooms and finish cooking: After the main cooking time finishes, add the carved mushrooms to the slow cooker. Let them cook for an additional 10 minutes with the lid on so they retain their shape and infuse flavor.
Notes
- Can I use a different kind of meat? The hot breakfast sausage adds a hearty, spicy flavor. If you substitute chicken breast, ground turkey, or kielbasa, expect a different taste and consider adjusting salt and seasonings accordingly.
- Can I freeze this soup? Yes, you can freeze the stew before or after cooking. If freezing before cooking, wait to add the mushrooms until after thawing and reheating.
- Can I double this recipe? Yes, doubling the recipe works well if you have a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Short on time? You can skip cutting the carrots and mushrooms into shapes; the stew will still be delicious.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
