Description
This spooky and hearty Witches Brew Stew is a fall favorite made in the slow cooker with savory ground beef, hot sausage, tender veggies, and Halloween flair! Featuring pumpkin-carved carrots and skull-shaped mushrooms, it’s a festive and comforting dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
1 lb hot breakfast sausage (e.g., Jimmy Dean)
1 lb ground beef
4–5 carrots, peeled and sliced into pumpkin shapes
1 lb gold potatoes, diced
2 leeks, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, carved into skulls
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1 can (10.75 oz) Campbell’s Tomato Soup
1 can (10.75 oz) Campbell’s French Onion Soup
3 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
In a large skillet, cook the sausage and ground beef over medium-high heat until browned. Crumble and stir occasionally. Drain excess fat.
Transfer the cooked meat to your slow cooker.
Prepare carrots by carving tiny “pumpkins”: cut two top slits for the stem and small triangle eyes. Slice into rounds.
Add pumpkin carrots, diced potatoes, leeks, garlic, and celery to the slow cooker.
Pour in tomato soup, French onion soup, and beef broth. Stir in Italian herb seasoning. Combine everything gently.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
While the stew cooks, carve mushrooms using a straw for eyes and a small knife for nose and jawline to create “skulls.”
After 4 hours, gently stir in the mushroom skulls. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Want less heat? Swap hot sausage for mild or Italian sausage.
Vegetarian version: Skip the meat and use veggie crumbles with vegetable broth.
Time-saving tip: Prep the veggies and carve the day before for a stress-free Halloween dinner.
Carving the veggies is optional—but adds tons of spooky charm!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 920 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg