Creamy Hamburger Stew

It snowed in Southern Utah today, it snowed last week and the week before that. We are all a little ticked off here. We are cold and we want our sun back. Hey, I will even take the wind if it would just warm up and be Spring. So, that is my preface to a blog post on a creamy hearty stew recipe being offered up in May. Sometimes when you are feeling a little put out by the weather you just need warm comfort food, And this stew hits the spot. You should have seen the dissapointment when I announced that weekly soup day was a thing of the past for the next few months last week when I served up this family (and mommy favorite). WHAT? WHY? "Because it is just going to be too hot," I told my loyal soup  lovers. And then it went and snowed again today and I realized there will be a few cold blustery days ahead of us (and they better be just a few) and we,and maybe you, will need a good comforting soup to warm yourself up.


I have been making this easy soup that relies on basic veggies and pantry staples for years. You can also make substitutions and this soup still works. Substitutions below.

1 lb hamburger
1 tbsp of montreal steak seasoning.
1 tbsp of steak sauce (a.k.a A1)
3 Tb of dehydrated onions or 1/2 Cup onion chopped
1 tsp of garlic powder.

2 Cups of tomato juice or 1 1/2 Cups tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup to 1 Cup of water.
1 C. Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 C. Carrots, sliced thin or shredded
1 C. or 1 Can of corn, drained. or 1 C. Lima beans
1 to 1  1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh swiss chard leaves or spinach leaves (optional)

White Sauce
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 C milk

Brown hamburger in large skillet with seasonings and onions.

Add tomato juice or sauce/water, vegetables and salt. Cover and simmer until veggies are soft. Add more water if you feel it is too thick for your taste. But remember we are adding a white sauce later.

In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in flour. Add milk and simmer until just thickened. Stir into hot stew and serve.

TIP: The key to a really flavorful hamburger stew is seasoning your hamburger well in the beginning. Bland hamburger equals bland stew.