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Grandma's Ground Beef Stew

Grandma's ground beef stew is a one-pot comfort meal with browned ground beef, fork-tender Yukon Gold potatoes, and a tomato-beef broth. The stew simmers until the vegetables soften, then peas are added at the end for bright texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
lean ground beef
  • 1.5 lb lean ground beef
yellow onion
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
garlic
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
carrots
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
celery stalks
  • 3 stalks celery stalks sliced
Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed
tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
low-sodium beef broth
  • 4 cup low-sodium beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
bay leaf
  • 1 bay leaf
frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and build flavor
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes until browned and no pink remains; drain excess grease if needed.
  2. Add the diced yellow onion to the Dutch oven and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Stir to lift browned bits from the bottom.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Keep it moving so it doesn’t brown.
  4. Add the carrots, celery, Yukon Gold potatoes, and tomato paste, then stir for 2 minutes to coat the vegetables. The tomato paste should start to darken slightly.
Simmer the stew
  1. Pour in the diced tomatoes, low-sodium beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf, then stir well. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.
  2. Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 35–40 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, with occasional bubbling under the lid.
  3. Stir in the frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking until heated through. Look for bright green peas throughout the pot.
  4. Remove the bay leaf and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving. Serve hot with crusty bread or buttered rolls.

Notes

For the best texture, cut the Yukon Gold potatoes into evenly sized cubes so they cook at the same rate. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3–4 days in an airtight container; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is yes—freeze cooled stew for up to 3 months, then thaw and reheat, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. If you want a lighter option, swap half the lean ground beef for extra-lean ground turkey.