Fall for our family is one of the busiest times of the year. Between two back-to-back county fairs, work and school for our daughter, fitting in dinner is sometimes on the run. The Ranch Kitchen’s Sure Champ Brisket Stew is one Hereford beef meal that you can easily put on your table in a hurry. Using leftover beef from your Sunday night’s beef pot roast, a large brisket or those steaks you cooked over the weekend, this beef stew is a no fuss meal. Meal prep these days is all about using what you have and recreating a recipe that doesn’t take too much time in the kitchen. The Ranch Kitchen’s Sure Champ Brisket Stew is one of our very favorite ‘feel good’ meals to make in the fall or winter, and we hope becomes your ‘go to’ recipe when time is short and the days get longer.

This past week, our family ended up our two-week county fair run right in the middle of October. Two county fairs back to back give all our juniors a chance to sell market animals not once, but twice. It is a fun time, but exhausting. The Yamboree is our local festival that falls the third week of October each year followed by our neighboring towns Harvest Festival where my husband Scott has served as past President and board member. The Yamboree has forever been a family favorite! As the fourth largest festival in the state of Texas, our Yamboree is chalked full with four days of livestock shows, a coronation, both school and Queen’s parade as well as market sales.

All three of our girls were involved in all the activities much like many in our community and surrounding towns. Nothing says small town USA like a small-town festival and our East Texas Yamboree is one that not only celebrates the yam, but our town heritage, history and youth.

Each year to add to that exhaustion, our family throws a huge barn dance party where we feed our friends and family at the end of our Yamboree on that Saturday night. For almost as many years as we have been married, my husband Scott, along with close family friends, feed the masses that come to our barn each year. From fish fries to calf fries, the food we serve usually feeds around 300 hungry family, friends and friends of friends. This year’s main dish was beef brisket with all the sides. It takes a village to feed that many people and we are always blessed with everyone who brings sides and helps cook over the years. The joke of the year these past few years is that if you are over 30 years of age, you don’t bring a side dish. That age just happens to coincide with my oldest daughter and most of her adult friends … I think they liked that new rule!

After our barn dance party, I secretly hoped we would have at least a little of the brisket left so that when the ‘I’m tired…what’s for dinner’ sets in from the week, I’d have the leftover beef ready to make The Ranch Kitchen’s Sure Champ Brisket Stew. This week we not only had brisket stew, but also my Beef Stroganoff, all found on The Ranch Kitchen recipe site and blog that were both made from our leftover beef brisket.

For this stew recipe you can use the ingredients in the recipe or add in those vegetables your family likes. I’ve added in lima beans along with green beans from time to time, and even added in black beans to give it a Southwestern flare. The smoky flavor from the brisket really shines through in this recipe and really adds to the complexity of the flavor. Stew is always better the second day as the flavors meld together as they cool in your refrigerator. Using precooked brisket adds that ‘second day’ feel to your stew and in under 35 minutes you have a hearty one-pot meal on your table for you or your family.

Sure Champ Brisket Stew
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Times 35 minutes
Serves 8


This delicious stew is made from left over brisket from our smoker. Using brisket or steak for that matter or even fajita meat makes getting a stew on your table so easy. Plus, the flavor from the smoke really adds so much to this hearty meal!



Ingredients
• 4 – 6 cup(s) brisket, cut in 1 – 2-inch cubes (cut against the grain of the meat)
• 1 onion, rough chopped (cubed)
• 1 green bell pepper chopped in 1-inch cubes
• 2 can(s) diced tomatoes – 16-ounce cans with juice
• 1 can lima beans – 14.5 ounce, drained
• 4 – 6 small Idaho or white potatoes, cut in 2 -3-inch cubes
• 1 can green beans -14. 5 ounces, drained
• 6 – 8 cups water
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 can cream of corn -14.5 ounce
• 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning or any Cajun Seasoning (optional)

Instructions
• On a cutting board, cut brisket in 1 -2-inch chunks by slicing against the grain and place in a large stew pot or Dutch oven.
• Chop onion and green bell pepper and add to pot.
• Add all canned vegetables, potatoes and water to the pot except cream of corn.
• Add all seasonings (pepper, garlic salt and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning).
• Bring stew to a boil and then reduce heat to a low heat and simmering boil for 15 minutes.
• Cook stew covered for 10 more minutes and then add cream of corn to help thicken your stew.
• Add 1 – 2 cups more water if you think it needs it if you do not have enough broth or ‘soup’ to boil your potatoes.
• Cook an additional 10 – 20 minutes and serve with cornbread or saltine crackers!

Cook’s note: The cream of corn idea came from my Grandfather Herbert Young who was a long-time cattleman and is dearly missed. He gave me this little tidbit of advice in his later years and it makes a major difference in my stews. You may like to add 2 cans instead of 1 can of cream of corn. He always told his grandkids to, “Eat it like you like it”…and we did thereby learn to never be picky eaters and try to enjoy a variety of foods!

So, when time gets short and dinner is in a hurry, slice up that leftover beef brisket, steak or pot roast and make The Ranch Kitchen’s Brisket Stew. You seriously cannot make a meal that is any easier, your family will love and that is healthy for you.

For more recipes that are easy and fast to make, follow The Ranch Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as on our site at www.theranchkitchen.com. The Ranch Kitchen Instagram Story also has step-by-step guides to recipes from time to time as well.

Have a wonderful rest of your fall and remember, less time in the kitchen means more time with your family.

Alise Nolan
The Ranch Kitchen

Do you like this Ranch Kitchen recipe? Try this recipe from The Ranch Kitchen, too!