Description

This Slow Cooker Witches Brew Stew is a hearty and festive Halloween-themed dish packed with ground beef, spicy breakfast sausage, vegetables cut into fun pumpkin shapes, and a rich blend of soups and beef broth. Slow-cooked to perfection, it offers tender flavors and a spooky presentation with skull-cut mushrooms added at the end to maintain their shape.

Ingredients

Scale

Meats

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean original if preferred milder)

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 (cut in half and decorated with skull face cutouts)
1 tsp. minced garlic

Seasonings and Liquids

1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning (oregano, marjoram, savory, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage)
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

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Brown the Meats: In a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove, brown the ground beef and hot breakfast sausage together. Crumble them as they cook and once browned, drain off excess fat.
Prepare Carrot Pumpkins: Take the large carrot slices and cut two straight slits for the stem. Remove two triangles from the sides of the stem to create a pumpkin shape. Slice the carrots as shaped and set aside.
Add to Slow Cooker: Transfer the browned meats to the slow cooker. Add the shaped carrot pumpkins, diced gold potatoes, celery, diced leeks, minced garlic, Italian herb seasoning, salt, pepper, French onion soup, tomato soup, water, and beef broth into the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Cook: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Prepare Mushrooms: When cooking time is near completion, cut mushrooms lengthwise in half. Use a straw to poke out eye holes and a knife to cut two slits for a nose, and make slits on the stem to create spooky skull faces.
Add Mushrooms and Finish Cooking: Add the prepared mushrooms to the slow cooker after the main cooking time is finished. Let them cook with the stew for an additional 10 minutes to preserve their shape and infuse flavor.

Notes

Adding the mushrooms at the end of cooking ensures they keep their unique carved skull shapes.
Use mild sausage if you prefer less spice.
The Italian herb seasoning can be substituted with a combination of oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary if unavailable.
If small gold potatoes are not available, any small waxy potato can be used.
Sculpting the carrot pumpkins adds a fun, festive look but is optional; regular sliced carrots work fine.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 320
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 850mg
Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 10g
Trans Fat: 0.2g
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 18g
Cholesterol: 55mg