By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on October 4, 2026
Serves 8
319 cal · 165 min
Easy Beef Stew with Sweet Potato Topping
Recipe GLPRe59a69a7264f02
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Average rating: 4.5 (1)
A comforting one-pot beef stew with tender braised steak, aromatic vegetables, and warm spices, topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes and melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for family meals and freezer-friendly for busy weeknights.
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Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1½ stalk celery stalks, finely diced
2 clove garlic cloves, crushed
450 g braising steak, cut into chunks
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cube low-salt beef stock cube
2 tbsp tomato purée
25 g fresh parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped separately
1000 g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp butter
75 g grated cheddar cheese
500 ml water
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced carrots and celery, and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften, approximately 5–7 minutes. If the mixture sticks to the pan, add a splash of water to deglaze and prevent browning.
Increase the heat to high and add the braising steak chunks to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–8 minutes until the beef is well browned on all sides. Stir in the crushed garlic and ground cinnamon, and cook for another 1–2 minutes to release the aromatic flavors.
Pour 500 ml of boiling water into the pan and crumble in the beef stock cube, stirring until fully dissolved. Add the tomato purée and parsley stalks, and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 1–1.5 hours until the beef is very tender and the stew has thickened. Just before serving, stir in the finely chopped parsley leaves.
Transfer the finished stew into a medium ceramic baking dish suitable for serving 4 adults, or divide into 6–8 large ramekins for individual portions or freezing.
While the stew simmers during the final 30–45 minutes, steam or boil the diced sweet potatoes until completely tender, about 15–20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / gas mark 6). Drain the cooked sweet potatoes thoroughly and mash them with the butter until smooth. Divide the mash evenly over the top of the stew, sprinkle with the grated cheddar cheese, and place on the top shelf of the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling.
To freeze for later: Allow the assembled stew (before baking) to cool completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid, and freeze. To use, defrost thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / gas mark 6) and bake for 30–35 minutes until the topping is golden, bubbling, and the stew is heated through to at least 165°F (74°C) internally.
Comments
This is a workable family dish that plays to North Carolina's strength with sweet potatoes, and the ingredient list is straightforward at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, or ALDI—nothing requires a special trip. The 165-minute time is honest: beef stew really does need 90 minutes of low simmering, plus 30 minutes for the sweet potato topping, so don't expect faster than advertised. Cost per serving lands in the $2.50–$3.50 range depending on beef quality, making it budget-friendly for eight people. The real caveat is that this is a same-night dish that demands attention during the slow braise and doesn't reheat or freeze as cleanly as a straight stew without the cheese-butter topping, so plan it for a weekend when you have time and won't need leftovers stretched across the week.
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