If you're looking for an easy yet reliable meal the whole family will love, I highly recommend Potato Stew. It's rustic yet full of flavor with a lovely creamy texture. This is a fantastic dinner ready in just 30 minutes for any busy weeknight or lazy weekend.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 6
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Hearty and comforting with tender potatoes, savory aromatics, and a mild, earthy richness.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Crusty bread, dinner rolls, or a simple green salad to balance the warmth of the stew.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, it reheats beautifully and often tastes even better the next day.
Summarize and Save This Content On
I like to make this potato stew when I want something thicker and chunkier than a soup. This stew has plenty of depth, and it doesn't require a ton of hands-on work. It's ideal when you're too tired to cook and on a tight budget because it's also meal prep-friendly.
If you're looking for another comforting stew recipe, I recommend Hawaiian beef stew and Moroccan chicken stew.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's great for beginners: Even if you don't cook much, I urge you to try this simple potato stew recipe. It's very easy to follow and doesn't require many steps to prepare.
- It's easy to customize: I like making recipes I can put my own twists on. This potato stew can be made in a variety of ways to keep dinnertime exciting.
- It makes amazing leftovers: It also reheats very well, so if you want to save the leftovers or make extra, you can! I think that it tastes even better after the first day.
Ingredients
The key ingredients of a successful potato stew are listed below. They all contribute to the texture and flavor, and shouldn't be left out!
- Yukon Gold potatoes: These are the best potatoes for stew because they become creamy as they cook without falling apart. They also help to naturally thicken the stew.
- Mirepoix: The combination of onion, carrots, and celery is the aromatic base to a lot of recipes. It adds depth of flavor to prevent the potato stew from tasting starchy.
- Tomato paste: You won't get tomato flavor, but some umami to balance the richness of the stew and deepen the color
- Broth: You may use chicken or vegetable broth in this recipe. If you like, you can use this slow cooker rotisserie chicken broth.
- Heavy cream: I like to add heavy cream at the end for a creamy consistency. Adding it later also keeps it from curdling or separating.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Dairy-free: Try this potato stew recipe with unsweetened coconut cream in place of the heavy cream to make it a dairy-free version.
- Add protein: Include 1-2 cups of diced ham or 1 cup of cooked bacon to amp up the protein in this stew.
- Use more veggies: Include more veggies like peas or corn in this stew. About ½ cup of either is plenty!
How to Make Potato Stew
Below are the instructions you'll need for this potato stew recipe. Prepare all of your veggies and potatoes ahead of time to make the process even smoother.
Step 1: Sauté the veggies. Start by heating a large pot over medium heat with some olive oil, then add the mirepoix and cook for about 5 minutes before adding the garlic. Sauté for an additional minute or so.
Step 2: Make the roux and add broth. Add the flour, butter, and tomato paste. Stir until the ingredients are melted and well incorporated. After cooking for a minute, stir in the broth.
Step 3: Add potatoes and seasoning. Add the potatoes, seasoning, and bay leaf.
Step 4: Cook and add cream. Simmer the stew for 20-25 minutes uncovered. Once the potatoes are tender, pour in the heavy cream and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to warm in the stew. Serve with air-fried garlic bread!
Expert Tips
- Fixing watery potato stew: If your potato stew is on the watery side, simmer for another 10-15 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate. You may also mash some of the potatoes as well! I use this same method in this crockpot creamy potato hamburger soup.
- Watch the heat: After adding the heavy cream, make sure the heat is at medium or lower. High heat can also curdle the cream.
- Storage directions: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freeze once completely cooled for up to 2 months. Thaw the stew overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating the leftovers: I prefer to reheat the stew in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. A microwave works in a pinch, but heat it in 1-2 minute bursts, stirring between each one until warm.
If you like thick and hearty potato dishes, you'll love this corn and potato chowder.
Serving Suggestions
- You can't go wrong with potato stew and bread! These homemade dinner rolls and this Cheesecake Factory brown bread both pair amazingly.
- Add some lightness to your meal by serving it with a side of Greek lentil salad.
- Enjoy a simple dessert of red velvet cake mix cookies after your hearty bowl of potato stew.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Sauté the mirepoix and prepare the roux in a saucepan, and then transfer it to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook it on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Stir in the heavy cream during the last 30 minutes!
Sure! Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Everything else in the stew is already vegetarian. You can also make it vegan by swapping the heavy cream for canned full-fat coconut milk.
This can happen as it simmers and the liquid cooks down. If you would like it to have a thinner consistency, stir in ¼ cup of warm broth at a time until it reaches your desired thickness.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
Do you love potatoes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Potato Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 4-6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 6-7 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the butter, tomato paste and flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in the broth about ½ cup at a time, stirring well and allowing the mixture to come back to a gentle simmer between additions. Continue until all the broth is used.
- Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf, then bring the stew to a boil. Adjust broth level at this time to your preference.
- Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the stew has thickened.
- Stir in the cream and cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
- Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
- Add ¼ cup of warm broth at a time to your potato stew if it's too thick for your preference.
- Watch the heat and keep it low to prevent your heavy cream from curdling or separating.
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