This slow cooker 5-ingredient poor man fireworks stew is the kind of practical dinner that makes a busy weeknight feel a little easier. It leans on inexpensive pantry staples, a tube of ground beef, and a true dump-and-go method that many home cooks grew up with in some form of budget-friendly stew. When I want something hearty without a lot of prep or dishes, this is exactly the sort of simple meal I come back to.
Serve this stew with buttered toast, saltine crackers, cornbread, or a scoop of mashed potatoes to make it stretch even further. If you want a fresher side, a simple green salad, coleslaw, or sliced cucumbers adds a nice contrast to the rich, savory broth, and a little shredded cheese or chopped parsley on top works well too.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Poor Man Fireworks Stew
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 (1 to 1.5 pound) frozen tube ground beef
2 (15 ounce) cans mixed vegetables, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Directions
1. Lightly coat the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray if desired for easier cleanup. Place the frozen tube of ground beef in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Pour the mixed vegetables with their liquid over the beef. Add the diced tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, and diced potatoes on top.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the beef is fully cooked through.
4. Break up the beef with a spoon or potato masher, then stir everything together until the stew is evenly combined. If you want a thinner stew, stir in a little water. Ladle hot into bowls and serve.
Variations & Tips
Add seasoning: If your pantry allows for a sixth ingredient, a teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning can give the broth more depth. A little black pepper or paprika is also an easy upgrade.
Make it soupier: For a looser, more brothy stew, add 1 to 2 cups of water or beef broth during the last hour of cooking. This is especially helpful if your potatoes soak up a lot of liquid.
Swap the potatoes: Frozen diced hash browns or canned potatoes can stand in for fresh potatoes when you are really short on prep time. If using canned potatoes, add them later so they hold their shape better.
Food safety tip: For best texture and safer, more even cooking, thawing the ground beef first is ideal. If cooking from frozen, make sure the beef reaches a safe fully cooked temperature and break it up well before serving so no dense cold spots remain.
Stretch it further: This stew is great spooned over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes if you need to feed a few extra people. It also reheats well for lunch the next day, which is one of my favorite time-saving tricks during a packed workweek.