Meatball Stew

I saw this recipe in an email recently and decided to tweak it somewhat.

Stew is absolutely a comfort food and one that I usually prepare and let "stew" for

hours in the crock pot.

This recipe is an easier and much quicker stew. Meatball stew is also very frugal.

Served on buttered noodles it hit the spot on these much cooler evenings.

Less beef could be used. However, I made extra meatballs,placed them on a jelly

pan,froze, and placed them in a freezer bag. The next time I prepare this dish,

meatballs are ready!



Meatball Stew: (Adapted from Rachael Ray)
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots chopped
2 potatoes peeled and chopped
1 onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
½ bag (8 ounces) of frozen peas
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt
Pepper
2 cans beef broth
1 tablespoon caraway seeds


In a large bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well and form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs.

In a medium to large Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add the meatballs and cook, shaking the skillet often, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

I used a spoon to gently turn the meatballs, making sure to give ample time for the meat to cook and release from pan.

Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet and add the carrots, potatoes, onion and celery. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the reserved meatballs and caraway seeds, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve with buttered noodles.

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