Hobo Meatball Stew

Recipe from Taste of Home

1 pound ground beef
1-1/2 teaspoons salt or salt-free seasoning blend, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 medium carrots, cut into chunks
1 large onion, cut into chunks
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1-1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

In a bowl, combine the beef, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Shape into 1-in. balls. In a skillet over medium heat, brown meatballs on all sides; drain. Place the potatoes, carrots and onion in a 3-qt. slow cooker; top with meatballs. Combine the water, ketchup, vinegar, basil, and remaining salt and pepper; pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

I don't know if I would call this a stew. It doesn't have any juice, it's basically just the meatballs & the vegetables with a sauce over them. That being said, it was pretty good. Especially good on a snowy day. The meatballs could use a little more flavor, so I always add Worcestershire sauce to them. And, don't overcook them because they get dry. One of these days I might re-work this recipe and see if I can make it more of a soup. But, good basic recipe.