Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew

Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a unique twist on classic beef stew. Beef and veggies cooked in delicious Mexican spices. Weight Watcher friendly- 7 SmartPoints!

Sometimes I just want a big bowl of meat and vegetables to warm my soul.  I remember as a kid, on Sundays my mom would make a huge pot of roast beef stew in the crock pot.  Lately I’ve been craving dishes I grew up eating  and taking a trip down memory lane.  My Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a nod to the classic dish you grew up eating.  Scrumptious slow cooked beef, soft and flavorful potatoes and carrots, cooked in delicious Mexican spices are the perfect meal when you are craving comfort food.  This is a Weight Watcher friendly recipe and 2 cups is 7 SmartPoints.

My crock pot has been my best friend the last few months.  There is something so satisfying about throwing a bunch of ingredients into the pot, letting it cook for hours, then lifting the lid up to see pure magic.  Not only is the crock pot an easy way to get something cooked, it helps to create an amazing smell in the house.  How great is it to come home from work to a house filled with a delicious smell of dinner?!  Before you know it, summer will be here so I’m making as much as I can right now in the crock pot before it’s too hot to eat soups.

Lately I’ve been a bit nostalgic and craving dishes that I grew up eating.  It is just so comforting about eating food that you ate as a child.  My mom cooked almost every day during the week and I still don’t understand how she did it!  Working full time with two kids and still having dinner on the table by 6pm every weeknight.  I aspire to be like that!  On Sundays, she always made something extra special and I remember beef stew was a dish she would only make on Sundays.  Beef mixed with potatoes and carrots in a seasoned broth… delicious and a great dish to feed a family.

Mexican food is my favorite cuisines so I am always putting a Mexican flare on classic dishes.  My Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a nod to the dish I grew up eating with a little bit of Mexican flare.  What makes this beef stew different from the rest are the Mexican spices in the stew… Sazon and Sofrito.  These two elements add a rich and decadent flavor to this stew.

I highly recommend browning meat (beef or pork) before adding it to a slow cooker for soups, stews, or chilis.  Browning the meat adds a nice sear and adds more flavor.  Using a cast iron skillet, heat a little bit of oil over medium heat.  Add the cubed beef stew meat, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and sear for about 2 minutes.  Once the meat is seared a bit, add cornstarch and mix until all the meat is coated.   The cornstarch will help thicken up the sauce.  Lastly, add tomato paste and beef Bouillon to the skillet.  Cook for another few minutes.

After the meat is browned, add to the crock pot along with diced potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, bay leaf, water, tomato sauce, Mexican oregano and Sazon seasoning.  I prefer to make my own seasoning because I have all of the ingredients already in my spice rack, but you can buy already made Sazon seasoning at the grocery store (or on Amazon)!

The last ingredient to add is sofrito.  Sofrito is a mixture of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs.  There are several variations of sofrito you can make.  For this stew, I made my own quick sofrito using roma tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, white vinegar, and oil.  Just blend these ingredients in the food processor and add to the crock pot.  This adds tons of delicious flavor to the broth!  The stew will cook on low for 8-10 hours.  You will not believe how much flavor this stew has and how perfectly cooked the vegetables are.  SOOOO GOOD!

Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a nod to the classic dish you grew up eating.  Scrumptious slow cooked beef, soft and flavorful potatoes and carrots, cooked in delicious Mexican spices are the perfect meal when you are craving comfort food.  Made in the crock pot for an easy dinner!  Not too spicy for all those non-spice eaters out there.  Delicious, HEALTHY, and Weight Watcher friendly meal!

I hope you enjoy these bites of flavor!

Serves 5, 2 Cups Per Serving

0

Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew

7 SMARTPOINTS per serving

20 minPrep Time

8 hrCook Time

8 hr, 20 Total Time

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

My Recipes My Lists My Calendar

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Pounds Beef Stew Meat
• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
• 1 Beef Bouillon Cube
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• 2 Medium Russet Potatoes
• 2 Medium Carrots
• 1 White Onion
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 4 Cups Water
• ½ Cup Tomato Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Mexican Oregano
• Cilantro for garnish
• Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Sazon Seasoning or make your own:
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Annatto Seeds (or Smoked Paprika)
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Sofrito:
• 2 Roma Tomatoes
• ¼ White Onion
• ½ Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Clove Garlic
• ½ Jalapeno
• ¼ Bunch of Cilantro
• ½ Teaspoons White Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes and add to crock pot.
2. Mince garlic and add to crock pot.
3. Cut carrots and onion into 1 inch cubes and add to crock pot.
4. Add bay leaf, water, tomato sauce, Mexican oregano, and Sazon seasonings to crock pot.
5. Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat and add oil.
6. Add stew meat, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sear for 2 minutes.
7. Add cornstarch, mix well, and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Add tomato paste and beef Bouillon cube and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
9. Add browned meat to crock pot.
10. In food processor or blender, add tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, white vinegar, and oil. Blend well.
11. Add sofrito to the crock pot, stir to mix, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
12. Garnish with cilantro.

Notes

This recipe is freezer friendly!!

NUTRITION: Makes 5, 2 Cups Per Serving - (7 SmartPoints Per Serving) CALORIES: 366 FAT: 7.6 SATURATED FAT: 2.2 CARBS: 21 FIBER: 2.9 SUGARS: 3.9 PROTEIN: 51.5

7.8.1.2

117

https://bitesofflavor.com/slow-cooker-mexican-beef-vegetable-stew/