Warm, delicious, and comforting, this slow cooker beef and sweet potato stew should definitely be included on your weekly meal plan!
When I shared the meal prep that I was doing for the week ahead (one recipe of which was the chicken stir fry soba noodles bowls) something cool happened – I received a ton of requests for the recipe! I have never received so many inquiries about the a recipe I was making behind the scenes as I did for this one (I was sharing on Instagram, @philiakelnhofer), this slow cooker beef and sweet potato soup, you guys wanted (demanded in some cases, lol) the recipe. And I’m here to oblige!
[Tag me on Instagram if you make this Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Stew!]
Soups and stews are so awesome in the winter, they’re warm and comforting – they’re pretty much all-around fantastic!
This recipe accidentally came together. I was making this 5 ingredient green beans and beef, but then wanted to bulk it up with some veggies to make it more of a meal (I was too lazy to make a side dish and wanted a meal that could be made in the slow cooker). I added in a chopped up bell pepper and sweet potato, and wouldn’t you know it, it came together in an amazing stew. Over the holidays when I visited my parents I was telling my mom how much I was in love with cinnamon, and she gave me this awesome mason jar full of it – how cool is that? I totally encourage you to use it as a seasoning in this slow cooker recipe, it really goes well with the beef and sweet potatoes (and don’t worry, it’s not ‘dessert-like’ at all).
It’s hearty enough as a stew to be served as a meal, and it is a healthy one at that, coming in at around 327 calories per serving.
Also, last week I posted two chicken recipes (these chicken stir fry soba noodle bowls and this 5 ingredient chicken and sweet potatoes) so I should really have dubbed it ‘chicken week’. This week I’m posting a slow cooker recipe today, and can you guess what I’m planning on posting on Friday? Hint: it may or may not involve a slow cooker, and another hint, it may or may not include 5 ingredients – stay tuned!
I have been loving using my slow cooker on the weekends. This is the slow cooker (crockpot) that I use. Slow cookers are really great for making meals that I can make ahead for my husband and I to take for lunch throughout the week. What I’ve found has been working for me in the meal planning department is making 2-3 bigger meals on the weekend and then divvying them up. I also like to make ahead a snack (like these oatmeal cookie energy bites or these granola bars). I also keep a list of 3-4 dinner ideas with ingredients I have in the house, that way I can just look over at the list and have ideas of what I’m going to make for dinner.
When you’re in need of a fantastic stew, make this beef and sweet potato one, it will not disappoint.
A tip for this recipe is to use a fattier cut of beef so that the beef doesn’t dry out. Think a cut up roast or stew meat vs. a tenderloin or leaner cut.
How to use beef in other recipes:
- 5 Ingredient Cheesy Beef and Egg Noodle Casserole
- Spicy Roast Beed Sliders
- 5 Ingredient Mexican Shredded Beef and Beef Tostadas
Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 lb beef stew meat*
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (or you could use 1 sweet potato and 1 regular potato)
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 bag 1lb frozen green beans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala optional
- 2 cans 14.5 oz. each of crushed tomatoes (I like using fire roasted crushed tomatoes)
- Toppings
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
- handful of chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a frying pan over medium-high heat melt butter and saute onions for 5 minutes, add in the crushed garlic clove and cook for an additional 2 minutes, then remove from heat and transfer to a slow cooker.
- Add the beef, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, and green beans into the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the seasonings into the slow cooker and pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir once or twice, then set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-8 hours (I stirred it about twice during cooking, but that is not necessary, you can just 'set it and forget it'). Check your slow cooker around 6 hrs if you have a slow cooker that cooks faster than others.
- To serve divide into four bowls and add a dollop of plain yogurt on top and sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy.
Notes
Here is a picture of the my meal prep for the week – I made 1 recipe of chicken stir fry soba noodle bowls, and then 1 recipe of this slow cooker beef and sweet potato stew and packed the yogurt and parsley in separate containers (speaking of which, I’m loving these little twist n lock containers lately)
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Nicola says
cooked this on low for 9 and a half hours and the meat was so tough still that a vegan would protest against it (like leather). Very disappointed and too late to order take-out :((((
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry to hear that! My meat has always been very tender and fall apart with this recipe. Meat tends to dry out and get tough when it’s a leaner cut – would you mind sharing what type of meat you used so that I can make a note in the recipe? Fattier cuts of meat—think pork shoulder/ roasts and and usually stew meat—tend to do better than leaner ones, like tenderloin or other beef. Another culprit could be over-cooking. Some slow cookers really cook faster than others, so when a recipe says 8 hrs, the slow cooker cooks that in 6, that ones a tough one to figure out without checking and really knowing your slow cooker. Regardless, so sorry to hear about this experience.
Mariya says
I followed the recipe with two exceptions: I used 1/2 lb of fresh green beans instead of the 1 lb frozen as the recipe called, and I didn’t have garlic salt so I subbed 1/2 tsp of regular salt and used an extra garlic clove when sauteing onions. I also cooked it on high the first hour, and then on low a little over 5 hours (I have a Proctor Silex crock pot).
Results:
The green beans came out perfect; the bell pepper and sweet potato were a little mushier than I would have liked; and the meat was a little tough. The stew was also a bit too salty.
Overall, this was not a “wow” kind of dish, but it is a good quick meal to make. I’m also new to crock pot cooking so maybe my expectations are high. My aunt loved it, and couldn’t believe that the only seasonings were salt and cinnamon. I especially like that it’s gluten free, filling, and simple. If I make it again, I may experiment with putting less salt, adding just a pinch of crushed red pepper, substituting some of the crushed tomatoes with broth, and decreasing the cooking time.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Sweetphi says
Thank you for your feedback. In the future if you’re substituting garlic salt with salt I’d use a little less salt because there’s not as much ‘salt’ in garlic salt as in real salt. I’m so surprised to hear the meat was tough (usually it’s so tender it falls apart), low and slow in a slow cooker will definitely produce a more tender meat.
Kim says
Can you substitute anything for the green beans and bell pepper v
Sweetphi says
You could do other vegetables as you like 🙂
Little Cooking Tips says
As you may remember from another comment, slow cookers are virtually non-existent here, but we can slow cook this in a pot, that’s for sure!:) We loved the addition of cinnamon, most of the Greek stews with tomato sauce (kokkinista) include a pinch of cinnamon and it does take the food to a whole new level! Plus, we always add a little garam ourselves, it’s like you’re reading our minds!:)
Thanx so much for another YUMMY recipe!
xoxoxo
Trisha says
With these cold and busy winter week days, I am ALL about the slow cooker. This recipe looks hearty and healthy. Definitely trying this one, Phi! Sometimes it’s the simplest recipes that people want the most, you know?
Kennedy Cole@ KCole's Creative Corner says
This looks divine! I can only imagine how well those sweet potatoes and beef go together! Thanks for sharing!
Sweetphi says
You’re so welcome. The beef and sweet potatoes go sooooo well together, I think you’d love it!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I am all for accidental dishes, and this stew looks amazing, Phi! Soups and stews are a necessity this time of year and I’m loving how easy, yet delicious this beef and sweet potato stew is! I could devour a vat of this in record time! Cheers, my dear! <3
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much girl! I definitely have to portion this out so I don’t eat the entire thing because it’s so yummy!
Andrea rentea says
I will get the slow cooker pot out just for this yummy recipes!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for commenting – you definitely won’t be disappointed with this wonderful dinner. You can just put all the ingredients in before you leave for work, and then come home to a delicious meal!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I am literally obsessed with my slow cooker at the moment. It’s the ideal way to make comfort food when the weather is as cold as it is at the moment. I love the idea of a sweet potato stew.
Sweetphi says
Slow cookers are the best – especially in these winter months, and this stew is absolutely perfect for a healthy-yet delicious meal!
Shawnna says
oh yummy!! This looks really good!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much Shawnna, I think you’d love this!