Crockpot Cowboy Stew

Another soup that Dan picked out around bid season time. I try to keep him well fed.

Crockpot Cowboy Stew
via Year of Slowcooking

Ingredients:

• 1 lb browned hamburger or turkey
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced Italian seasoned tomatoes
• 1 can corn, drained
• 2 cans whole baby potatoes, drained
• 1 can tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can Ranch Style beans
• 1 cup water
• sliced jalapeno peppers for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown the hamburger with the chopped garlic cloves on the stove top. Drain the fat. Let sit in the pan for a bit to cool.
2. Open all of the cans, and dump them into the crockpot. Drain the corn and the potatoes, but add the rest of the can liquid to the crockpot.
3. After adding all of the can contents, add the browned meat and a cup of water. Stir with a spoon to mix a bit.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5. Soup and stew tastes better the longer you cook it, so opt for the longer cooking time if you can.
5. Garnish with sliced jalapeno peppers, if desired.

Comments & Modifications:

• I used regular fresh potatoes instead of canned, despite the warning in the original recipe that non-canned potatoes would disintegrate during cooking. I know from making beef stew that regular potatoes do just fine, so that's what I used.
• I have no idea what ranch style beans are! I don't think grocery stores in my area carry them, if the blank looks from the employees are any indication. Since I was at the store and unable to research a reasonable substitute, I decided that we'd use pinto beans plus powdered ranch dressing mix.
  

Verdict: Again, I didn't get to try this but Dan said it was "okay". I'm skeptical; it smelled kind of boring, like it needed a ton more spices. Maybe it would have been better with the real ranch beans?