Slow Cooker Witches’ Brew Stew Recipe
This Slow Cooker Witches Brew Stew is a hearty and festive dish perfect for fall or Halloween gatherings. Packed with ground beef, spicy sausage, vibrant pumpkin-shaped carrots, tender potatoes, and spooky mushroom ‘skulls,’ this stew simmers slowly to develop deep, comforting flavors. The combination of French onion and tomato soups with beef broth creates a rich, savory base that warms you up from the inside out.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low, plus 10 minutes for mushrooms
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (High) or 8 hours 30 minutes (Low)
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. hot breakfast sausage (original flavor if you prefer less spice)
Vegetables
- 3–4 large carrots (sliced, then cut into pumpkin shapes)
- 2 cups small diced gold potatoes
- 3 celery ribs (diced)
- 1 cup diced leeks (from 1 large leek)
- 10 mushrooms (cut in half, with skull face carved)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
Seasonings and Liquids
- 1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 10.5 oz. Campbell’s Condensed French Onion Soup
- 10.5 oz. Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1.5 cups water
- 32 oz. box beef broth
Instructions
- Brown the meats: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and hot breakfast sausage together. Crumble the meats as they cook and drain off the excess fat. Transfer the browned meat mixture into the slow cooker.
- Prepare the carrot pumpkins: Slice the carrots and then shape them into pumpkin forms by making two straight slits to create the stem, remove two triangular pieces from the sides of the stem, then slice the carrot sections. Add these carrot pumpkins to the slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients except mushrooms: Into the slow cooker, add the diced gold potatoes, celery, diced leeks, minced garlic, Italian herb seasoning, salt, pepper, condensed French onion soup, condensed tomato soup, water, and beef broth. Stir gently to combine.
- Start slow cooking: Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours to allow flavors to meld and ingredients to soften.
- Prepare the mushrooms: Near the end of the cooking time, halve the mushrooms lengthwise. Using a straw, poke out eye shapes, and with a knife, make two small slits for a nose and add additional slits on the stem, mimicking skull faces.
- Add mushrooms to stew: After the bulk of cooking, add the prepared mushrooms to the slow cooker and let them cook uncovered for about 10 minutes to retain their shape while imparting a subtle flavor.
- Serve and enjoy: Once mushrooms are tender but firm, turn off the slow cooker and ladle the stew into bowls. Enjoy this warm, festive Halloween-themed stew!
Notes
- Wait to add mushrooms until the last 10 minutes of cooking to maintain their shape and detailed cutouts.
- Use original hot breakfast sausage for a milder stew or spicy if you prefer extra heat.
- Carrot pumpkin shapes add a fun seasonal touch but can be omitted if short on time.
- Drain excess fat after browning the meats to keep the stew from being greasy.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be frozen for longer storage.
Keywords: slow cooker stew, Halloween stew, witches brew stew, ground beef stew, sausage stew, pumpkin carrot stew, hearty fall stew
Find it online: https://kitchenwithkai.com/slow-cooker-witches-brew-stew-recipe/
