Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
I'm beginning to think I was crazy to challenge myself to use my crock pot everyday for a year to make Weight Watchers friendly recipes and post them here on Simple Nourished Living.
Stephanie made it look so easy on her blog Crockpot365.
But it's Not!
On the bright side - this year-long project is now more than 35% complete 🙂
I've got my Mom to thank for this hearty slow cooker beef stew recipe, which is adapted (a lot) from the Ninja Cooking Easier, Healthier & Better Cookbook.
Is there anything more comforting than coming home at the end of a long cold day to the smell of a hearty stew simmering away in the crock pot?
Served with some warm, crusty bread, it's hard to beat.
Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
There's really no wrong way to make beef stew. I tend to use whatever combination of vegetables and seasonings I've got on hand and never have made it exactly the same way twice.
This makes a big batch, but the good news is that it tastes even better the next day and you can freeze the leftovers for future quick and easy dinners and/or lunches.
To make this hearty slow cooker beef stew work with Simply Filling, I think it would be necessary to omit the flour, resulting in a thinner stew.
Now that I'm a Lifetime WW in Maintenance, I'm not a Simply Filling purist (if I ever was).
And let's be real, eating too much homemade beef stew isn't what landed me in Weight Watchers in the first place 🙂
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Slow Cooker Stew?
According to my calculations each serving has about 276 calories and:
6 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
7 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
If you've made this Crock Pot Low Fat Beef Stew, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean stew beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1-½ cups beef broth
- ½ cup tomato sauce (4 ounces canned)
- 4 medium red potatoes, cut in cubes
- 2 medium onions, sliced into wedges
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 2 cans (about 15 ounces each) cut canned string beans, drained
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 6-Quart.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper, then toss with the flour to coat the meat.
- Grease the crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the beef in the slow cooker.
- Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, potatoes, onions, carrots, corn, green beans, garlic and thyme.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or until the beef and vegetables are fork-tender.
- Stir in chopped fresh parsley.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Recipe Notes
Source: adapted from Ninja Cooking Easier, Healthier & Better Cookbook
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you like this WW friendly slow cooker beef stew, you might also like:
- Weight Watchers Italian Beef and Lentil Slow Cooker Stew
- Hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Soup
- Lightened Up Easy Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms
Find More Weight Watchers Friendly Slow Cooker Recipes
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Martha C
Tomato sauce isn't considered simply filling???
Martha McKinnon
Yes, Martha C, it is! I misread my pocket guide. Will fix my error right away. Thanks.
Martha C
Whew! 🙂
Kara Vautour
you may be feeling crazy right now for doing this but we appreciate it!!
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Kara!
Karen Z
I made this and it is more than delicious - it is fabulous! A great Valentine dinner.
Barb
How many points for this beef stew?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Barb,
7 Points Plus per 1-1/2 cup serving.
Ruth E Fabiano
Im sorry does this mean 1 and a 1/2 cups or a 1/2 cup serving?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Ruth - 1 and 1/2 cups!
christi falasca
have you ever substituted sweet potatoes for the red potatoes?
Martha McKinnon
I haven't made the substitution, but as a set potato lover, I think it sounds delicious!
Ree
I was so into browning the beef before I threw it in the slow cooker, that I forgot the garlic and thyme. It still turned out fabulous! Even better the following day.
Wonder what will happen if I follow the recipe lol
Carol
I used deer steak instead of beef! Would that change the points?
jean
If anything, deer steak would be less points. It is very lean.
Mary
Am I overlooking the use for the onion? Do I just throw it in in Step 5?
Thanks! Looks relish! Making it right now.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Mary, good catch! Yes, I've updated the recipe's instructions.
Morgan
Do you happen to know how many freestyle smart points it would be if I used a 2lb rump round roast instead?