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Meatball Stew

Meatball Stew

This Meatball Stew Recipe is a fun and cozy comfort food your whole family will love.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Stews
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 596 kcal

Equipment

  • large bowl
  • Dutch oven or braiser
  • Slow Cooker
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1.5 pounds ground beef
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • 0.5 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper

Stew

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 0.5 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour or 2 tablespoon corn starch for slow cooker or instant pot
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 5 cups beef broth
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 leaf dried bay leaf
  • 0.75 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup fresh green beans
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Stove Top Method

  • In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients until well combined. Do not overmix, or the meatballs can become hard. Roll into 20-25 equal-sized balls.
  • Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove to a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil if needed. Add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Sauté until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and flour, mix well, and cook 1 minute.
  • Gradually add wine, stirring to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add in tomato paste, and combine well. Simmer and reduce for 5 minutes.
  • Add beef broth, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and browned meatballs. Mix well. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat back down to medium. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add in potatoes. Cook for 25 minutes.
  • Add green beans and peas. Cook for about 5 additional minutes, or until potatoes and green beans are cooked to your liking. Taste and adjust for salt.
  • Remove from heat. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve.

Slow Cooker Method

  • Form and brown the meatballs as described in steps 1 and 2 above.
  • Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms in the same pan, then transfer to the slow cooker.
  • Transfer the vegetable mixture to the crock pot, along with all remaining stew ingredients except corn starch.
  • Mix well, then place the meatballs into the mixture.
  • Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours.
  • When stew has finished cooking, combine corn starch with ¼ cup cold water. Mix well, then slowly stir into the stew. Allow to cook 5-10 minutes longer, uncovered, to allow the stew to thicken.

Instant Pot Method

  • Form meatballs as described in step 1 above.
  • Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Add 2 tablespoon oil, then once hot add meatballs (working in batches) and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate.
  • Add additional oil if needed, then sauté onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms until they begin to soften. Add flour and garlic, mix well and cook for one minute. Turn off the Instant Pot.
  • Add in remaining ingredients. Stir well, making sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Place meatballs into the mixture.
  • Add the lid, seal, and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release.
  • Combine corn starch with ¼ cup cold water. Mix well, then slowly stir into the stew. Allow to cook on Saute mode for 5-10 minutes to allow the stew to thicken.

Notes

If time allows, refrigerate the meatballs for 30 minutes before cooking. We prefer a waxier type potato, such as red or yukon gold, as they hold together better. If using russett, reduce the cooking time in step 6 to 15 minutes to prevent them from falling apart. If you don't have fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and rosemary. Frozen green beans can be used in place of fresh. Leftovers: Meatball stew makes wonderful leftovers. After allowing it to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, or frozen for 2-3 months. If freezing, thaw overnight in the fridge the day before eating. Reheat the stew on stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, adding a little extra water if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 596kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 41gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 132mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6g
Keyword comfort food, cozy dinner, family meal, hearty stew, Meatball Stew, savory
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