If you’re looking for a satisfying meal to feed your family, I highly recommend this Cajun Meatball Stew. These moist and tender meatballs cooked in a dark, rich gravy is another one of those creative meals birthed from necessity.
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Like most farmer families in south Louisiana, we grew our own beef and enjoyed a regular helping of rice and gravy. So what’s a Mama to do to feed her hungry family when the freezer was out of roast and steak? She found a way to make a tasty stew using the abundance of ground meat left from the last butchering.
This is one of my favorite comfort foods. It meets all of the criteria for satisfying hunger with endearing thoughts of Mama’s cooking.
Comfort Food Defined
A classic definition and article about these particular kinds of edibles are found here at https://www.southernliving.com/food/classic-comfort-food-recipes. It says that “Comfort foods are staples for anyone wanting a hearty meal and a little taste of home.” I agree, but I didn’t see meatball stew in any of the 101 recipes listed in the article. How could they have missed it?
So let me introduce to this oh-so-satisfying, stick to your ribs dish from home.
First Step To This Cajun Meatball Stew
Since it’s a Cajun Meatball Stew, you may have guessed that “first, we make a roux!” Well, you’re right, but this time we’ll make a smaller one than we would for a gumbo. For more instructions, you can go to A Roux Lesson, where I explain just how easy browning flour in oil is.
Next Step
After cooking some onions, celery, and garlic in the roux, we pour in some beef stock and let this simmer while making the meatballs.
Now, we add the meatballs to the gravy and simmer some more.
Then we add some carrots and potatoes. What more does a beef stew need?
Looks comforting, doesn’t it?
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Comforting Cajun Meatball Stew
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A satisfying Cajun-Style Meatball Stew of moist and tender, meaty meatballs cooked in a dark, rich gravy surrounded by diced carrots and potatoes. Serve them over rice, and this meal will meet all of the criteria of classic southern comfort food.
Ingredients
Roux and Gravy
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
4 cups beef stock
Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
1 whole egg
Carrots and Potatoes
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups carrots, sliced
Instructions
Roux and Gravy
Pour oil into large, heavy pot and heat then add flour and brown until it is the color of cocoa powder.
Add onions and celery and cook for 10 minutes then add garlic and stir for a minute.
Pour beef stock into the roux and simmer on medium-low heat for half an hour.
Meatballs
While the gravy is simmering, add all of the ingredients for the meatballs int a bowl and mix by hand then loosely form them into 2-inch meatballs, don’t roll them, this makes a tender and moist meatball.
After gravy has simmered for 30 minutes add the meatballs and let them cook for 5 minutes then turn meatballs over.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Carrots and Potatoes
Add carrots and potatoes cooking them until they are tender, about 20 minutes.
Serve over a bed of hot cooked rice and garnish with fresh sliced green onions.
Notes
Ground venison or chicken may be substituted for ground beef.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 min Utes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stewing
- Cuisine: Cajun
Keywords: Cajun meatball stew
So now you know why this is one of my favorites of comfort foods. It’s full of flavor, very satisfying, and makes me think of home. I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know how it turns out. Your family will thank you and bless you for making them comforting memories of home.
A God wise enough to make me and the world I live in is wise enough to take care of me.
Philip Yancey
Waiting for cool weather & a day to simmer this. Yum.
Sounds nice!
You show an egg in the photo, but it is not on the ingredient list. Did you use only one egg in the meatball mixture?
Yes, 1 egg. Thank you for pointing that out. I have made the needed adjustments to the recipe ingredients. Have a nice day!
Thanks! Plan on making this Friday!
You’re welcome! Sounds good!
Your photo shows breadcrumbs and eggs and parsley too, but it is not listed in the recipe. What are the measurements?
Goodness! Thanks for letting me know and please forgive the misprint. I just updated the recipe.
For health reasons need recipes high in protein and low to no sodium.
I hope this helps you on your path to good health.
I’m excited to have found this recipe! It may allow me to recreate my paternal Quebecoise Meme’s “frico” (invented name, short for fricassee) that she taught to my Polish-German mother. It was a family favorite, definitely comfort food. I didn’t learn how to make it and have learned that the roux is the secret to its unique and satisfying flavor. They’re all gone now, and I long to try your recipe! Merci!
This is so sweet! Worth writing the whole blog for! I’m happy to help and please let me know how it turns out. Thank you!