This recipe is a good recipe for when you have time to let a stew simmer. Serve some fruit on the side and maybe some bread and you have a full meal. Scouts BSA and Venturers should be able to prepare this meal on their own.
Personally, I prefer “real” mashed potatoes to the instant and would make them instead, but our Scouts like the easy preparation of the instant potatoes. They are not into peeling vegetables, which is also why this recipe calls for baby carrots.
Easy Stew Topped Mashed Potatoes
Equipment:
- Charcoal
- Dutch Oven
- Cooking pot for the mashed potatoes
- Camp stove for cooking potatoes (optional)
- Can opener
- Cooking utensils
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 package dried onion soup mix
- water
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 can green beans
- 2 2/3 cups instant mashed potato flakes
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp margarine
Prepare your charcoal briquettes.
Place 14 briquettes under the Dutch oven. Brown the beef cubes in the Dutch oven.
Add the cream of mushroom soup plus one can of water. Add the onion soup mix, carrots, and green beans. Cover and place 12 briquettes on top of the oven. Simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes, until the beef is tender. Check occasionally and add more water if it is getting too dry. Replenish your briquettes if necessary.
Meanwhile, when the stew is almost ready, heat 2 2/3 cups water, margarine, and salt just to boiling. Heat the liquid mixture on a camp stove or over a small charcoal fire. Remove from heat and add milk. Stir in mashed potato flakes and let stand until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Add more milk or more flakes if the consistency isn’t right.
To serve, put a heap of mashed potatoes on your plate. Put the stew on top.
Serves 8
