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Hearty, delicious, and easy to make, this twist on a Sunday dinner favorite is one of our family’s staple recipes in our weekly rotation. I love that I can throw my ingredients into a slow cooker and get on with my day– only to return to a pot of steaming, delicious and oh-so-tender stew that warms and nourishes with a little extra fiesta-flavored pizazz.
As with many of my soups and stews I typically make a double batch of this in my big crock pot and freeze half of it for a rainy (read: busy) day. The kids ALWAYS ask for this meal and especially enjoy it with a side of rice and a tortilla to dip into the rich broth! Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and you have cinco-de-mayo in a bowl!
Some slow cookers are SUUUUPER fancy these days with all the bells and whistles. I, personally, prefer an old-fashioned crockpot with a manual knob.
Just a couple of notes before we get started:
First of all, this recipe is totally delicious as a dump-and-go sort of recipe. You could literally throw everything into the crock pot, set it to low and come back in 4-6 hours ready to eat. However, I have found it to be worth the few extra minutes of browning the stew meat before mixing everything together and setting it to cook.
Secondly, if you add zucchini to this stew, my best advice is to add in the last hour of cooking so as to not have them disintegrate or become un-appetizingly mushy.
Third: Don’t skip the cinnamon (unless, of course, there’s an allergy.) This is a small but mighty ingredient and adds such an amazing undertone to the complex stew flavors as it simmers!
Enjoy!
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