Weight Watchers Recipes of the Day: Healthy Hamburger Stew
(178 calories | 3 2 1 myWW *SmartPoints value per serving)
I made this simple healthy slow cooker hamburger stew for the first time last December. Everyone really liked it.
WW Friendly Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew
Hearty and satisfying, it’s the perfect antidote to weeks of overindulging with too many sweet treats. If your body is begging you to bring it back into balance, plan on cooking up a pot as soon as you can!
English Chocolate Crisps
While I didn’t do nearly as much Christmas cookie baking this year as last, I still managed to to get myself in trouble with two deliciously decadent Ina Garten recipes: French Chocolate Bark and English Chocolate Crisps.
They were totally worth the splurge, but now I’m feeling ready to get back on track with some sensible slow cooking.
French Chocolate Bark
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been eating out and indulging in WAY more sweet treats than normal. And our celebrations won’t officially wrap up until we ring in the New Year.
‘Tis the time of year when my body begins craving a dose of simple, hearty, home cooking, like this slow cooker hamburger stew, a hodgepodge of vegetables and ground beef simmered for hours in the crock pot. It’s the perfect antidote to weeks of overindulging.
How Many Calories/WW Points in this Healthy Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew?
According to my calculations, each serving has 178 calories and
3 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Skinny on Healthy Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew
Homemade soup is SO MUCH BETTER than anything you can get in a can. It’s worth the little bit of extra work required and is really pretty easy when you use your Crock-Pot (affiliate link).
The potatoes will take the longest to soften in this recipe, so be sure to chop them into small pieces if time is an issue.
I kept the seasoning in this slow cooker hamburger stew pretty simple, using just Montreal Steak Seasoning, one of my favorites. If you like your soups spicier, you may want to add more herbs and spices.
To make this hamburger stew vegetarian, substitute 1 pound soy crumbles or 1-1/2 cups lentils for the ground beef, and vegetable broth (affiliate link) for the beef broth.
One of the great things about home cooking is the freedom to customize to your specific tastes!
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
Seasoning Ideas & Variations:
- Give it an Italian flair by adding garlic, basil and oregano or Italian Seasoning.
- Take it in a Mexican direction with chile powder and cumin or a package of taco seasoning.
- Give it an Indian flavor by adding a teaspoon or two of curry powder
- Bump up the beefy flavor with a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of anchovy paste.
- For even more heat, add your favorite hot sauce and/or chopped picked jalapeños when you serve it.
- Boost the tomato flavor with a can of condensed tomato soup and/or 2 or 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Boost the oniony flavor with 2 to 3 tablespoons of dry onion soup mix.
- For even more veggies, try making this Crock Pot Hamburger Soup with V8 juice.
- Substitute sweet potato for the white potato for a more colorful soup.
- Add or subtract vegetables to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.
Curious about Weight Watchers new myWW Green, Blue and Purple plans? Watch this short video to learn more:
If you like this slow cooker recipe for hamburger stew, be sure to check out my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly Crock-Pot (affiliate link) recipes including Italian Pork & White Beans Stew, Slow Cooker Sausage & Vegetables, Crock-Pot Tomato Beef Macaroni Soup, Creole White Beans & Chicken and WW Chuck Wagon Chili
If you’ve made this Hamburger Stew, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it.
Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef (95% lean)
- 1 onion, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
- Salt and pepper, or other seasoning, to taste (I used 1-1/2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning)
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into tiny cubes (2 cups)
- 1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 4 cups beef broth (I use jarred Better Than Bouillon mixed with water)
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-Quart.
- Put the ground beef and onions in a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper and additional seasoning if you like.
- Cook, stirring and breaking up the beef into small crumbles, until the ground beef is no longer pink and the onions have softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Drain off any excess fat. (There shouldn't be much if you used extra lean ground beef.)
- Scrape the ground beef mixture into the crock pot. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef broth.
- Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours, or until the vegetables are all tender. The potatoes will take the longest to soften, so be sure to chop them really small if time is an issue for you.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Give it an Italian flair by adding garlic, basil and oregano or Italian Seasoning.
- Take it in a Mexican direction with chile powder and cumin or a package of taco seasoning.
- Give it an Indian flavor by adding a teaspoon or two of curry powder
- Bump up the beefy flavor with a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of anchovy paste.
- For even more heat, add your favorite hot sauce and/or chopped picked jalapeños when you serve it.
- Boost the tomato flavor with a can of condensed tomato soup and/or 2 or 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Boost the oniony flavor with 2 to 3 tablespoons of dry onion soup mix.
- For even more veggies, substitute V8 juice for half of the beef broth.
- Substitute sweet potato for the white potato for a more colorful soup.
- Add or subtract vegetables to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.
Source: adapted from The Crockin Girls Slow Cookin Companion: Yummy Recipes from Family, Friends, and Our Crockin Community (affiliate link) by Nicole Sparks and Jenna Marwitz.
*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.
Watch how to make your own Crock Pot Ground Beef Casserole at home:More Easy WW Friendly Recipes You Might Also Like:
- Slow Cooker 3-Bean Turkey Sausage Chili
- Simple 3-Ingredient Skinny Sloppy Joes
- Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup
- Mom’s Hearty Lentil Sausage Stew
- Easy Skinny Southwestern Skillet
- Best Weight Watchers Recipes of the Year with SmartPoints
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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Hi, I'm Martha. Simple Nourished Living chronicles the easy and delicious Weight Watchers friendly recipes, tips & hints that help me balance my love of food and desire to be happy, healthy and slim. 
Robin Coe
Great recipe!!!!!
Molly
Are you sure about the points because this stew is so good it doesn’t feel like I’m on a diet because it’s so delicious and filling!!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe
Marilyn Freeman
This stew is simple and delicious. Only one problem. When I put in the nutrition information, WW gave it 4 purple points. I have to admit, I thought one point could not be possible, as hamburger is high in points. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Marilyn, So glad you liked it. I just double checked the numbers in the WW Recipe Builder. The only points are in the ground beef/hamburger. 95% lean ground beef has 12 points, so the points per serving are 1. If you choose ground beef with a higher fat content the points will be higher. Hope this helps. ~Martha
claudette fredette
very good
Julie
What is the serving size?
Linda
Delicious! Easy and creative as you want it!