Description
A spooky and hearty Halloween stew featuring ground beef, hot sausage, and festive vegetables like pumpkin-shaped carrots and skull-shaped mushrooms. This flavorful dish is perfect for a fall gathering or Halloween party.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Stew:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. hot breakfast sausage (or original for a milder flavor)
- 3–4 large carrots, sliced into pumpkin shapes
- 2 cups small diced gold potatoes
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 1 large leek, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning (oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage, savory)
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 10.5 oz. Campbell’s Condensed French Onion Soup
- 10.5 oz. Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1.5 cups water
- 32 oz. beef broth
- 10 mushrooms, halved and carved into skull shapes
Instructions
- Brown the Meat:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage together. Crumble the meat as it cooks and drain the fat. Transfer the cooked meat to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the Pumpkin Carrots:
- Slice the carrots into rounds, then cut them into pumpkin shapes by making two straight slits for the stem and cutting two triangles on either side. Add the carved carrots to the slow cooker.
- Add the Veggies and Soups:
- To the slow cooker, add the diced potatoes, celery, leeks, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato soup, French onion soup, water, and beef broth. Stir well to combine.
- Cook:
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Prepare Skull Mushrooms:
- While the stew is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Slice them in half and use a straw to poke out eye holes. Make slits for the nose and small cuts along the stem to resemble a skull’s collar.
- Finish and Serve:
- Add the skull mushrooms to the slow cooker for the last 10 minutes of cooking to maintain their shape. Serve the stew hot with garlic bread or cornbread, and top with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese if desired.
Notes
- Ensure to dry and carve the mushrooms just before adding them to the stew to retain their shape.
- Use a large, heavy-duty slow cooker for this recipe to accommodate all the ingredients.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg