Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes is the perfect warm and hearty slow cooker meal for the cooler nights of Fall and Winter.
Jump to RecipeAs the temperatures drop, it’s a great time to start pulling out the slow cooker meals. Having a warm, hearty meal ready at the end of a cool fall day is just perfect. I’ve made beef roast before but wanted something a little different this time. Usually, I like a lot of broth, but beef roast tends to get too soggy. For this Kale Beef Stew recipe, I went for something drier.
We also had quite a bit of kale in the refrigerator leftover from our co-op, so I knew we needed to use that up. I started with this recipe but changed things as I went to fit our tastes. For example, none of us like peas so those were quickly eliminated!
And this has potatoes. I love potatoes! This recipe has just the right balance of everything. A bit of crunch from the kale leaves. Hearty meat and vegetables from the beef stew. Plus the starchiness of the potatoes.
The fall season is in full swing with winter quickly approaching. Kale Beef Stew is a great recipe if you are having family and friends over because it makes a lot. Or, it also reheats really well as long as you store a few things in separate containers. I basically stored the different layers in their own dishes: one for the kale, one for the potatoes, and another for the meat. This kept it from all getting mixed together and kept the potatoes from breaking down in the broth.

Kale Beef Stew Step by Step
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast
- 6 carrots (sliced)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 5 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 5 tbsp ranch powder
- 2.5 tbsp brown gravy mix
- 8 baking potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cups kale
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Preparation
Place your beef roast in the slow cooker. Chop the carrots, onion, and celery and add those on top of the meat.

Pour in one cup of beef broth then sprinkle the gravy mix, Italian seasoning, and ranch powder on top. Mix everything up in the slow cooker to make sure the seasonings evenly coat the vegetables and meat.

Place the potatoes on top of everything else and close the slow cooker. Try to keep the potatoes out of the broth. You can use any type of potato. I prefer red potatoes. Justin prefers regular baking potatoes. It tastes good either way!

Cook on low for 8-10 hours. About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the kale and cook for about 5 minutes, until it just starts to wilt.

Carefully remove the potatoes from the slow cooker and smash them with a potato masher. You don’t want them to become creamy, just broken up a bit.

Use two forks to carefully shred the roast in the slow cooker. Place some of the kale on your serving plates, then top that with the smashed potatoes. Add a layer of the roast and vegetables on top and add salt and pepper, to taste.


Recipe
Originally Published On: November 6, 2018
Last Updated On: July 28, 2023

Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast
- 6 carrots (sliced)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 5 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 5 tbsp ranch powder
- 2.5 tbsp brown gravy mix
- 8 baking potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cups kale
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place the beef roast in the slow cooker
- Chop the vegetables and place on top of the meat
- Pour beef broth over the vegetables and meat
- Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, ranch powder, and brown gravy mix
- Stir to make sure the vegetables and meat are evenly coated
- Place the potatoes on top, making sure they don’t fall into the broth
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours
- 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan
- Cook the kale for about 5 minutes, until it starts to wilt
- Carefully remove the potatoes from the slow cooker and smash with a fork or potato masher until just broken
- Shred the roast meat in the slow cooker
- Add a bed of kale to each serving dish then a layer of smashed potatoes
- Top with the roast and vegetable mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Kale Recipes
- Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Immunity Soup
Other Irish-Inspired Recipes
- No Yeast Vegan Irish Soda Bread in an Hour
- Irish Potato Casserole
- Guinness Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Creme de Menthe + Drink Recipes
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
More Slow Cooker Dinners
- Easy Slow-Cooker Potato and Cheddar Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dressing
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Bowl in the Slow Cooker
- Beef and Pork Chili in the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Pasta Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken over Pasta
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
- BBQ Pork Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Beef Roast: A Full Meal in the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas with Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- Minestrone Soup: The Perfect Warm Vegetarian Soup
- Orange Chicken in the Slow Cooker – Only 4 Ingredients
Other Potato Recipes to try
- Smooth and Creamy Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Salmon with Smashed Potatoes
- Guinness Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes with a Secret Ingredient
- Sheet Pan Ranch Pork and Potatoes
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
- Lemon Thyme Chicken Dinner with Potatoes and Green Beans
- Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- BBQ Pork Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Roasted Potatoes Seasoned for Any Meal
- Potato Leek Skillet
- Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
- Country Ham Hash Breakfast
- Homemade French Fries in 20 Minutes
I think it’s time I tell my husband that we need to whip out the crock pot!
It’s definitely time for it 😊
Stew is on our meal plan this weekend and I am so excited. yours looks so good!
You can’t go wrong with stew, especially in the colder months like this!
Looks like delicious winter time meal. Your kale beef stew with smashed potatoes looks healthy and delicious!
We love warm meals like this when the temperature drops. And adding the kale helps make it a bit more healthy, as you said.
This looks so good. I love a good Stew and this is a pleasant addition to a classic.
It’s a bit different from a traditional stew, but it’s a great way to change it up.
Such a great way to use up kale you need to use. I’m intrigued by the crunch this would add…I really do prefer a meal that has multiple textures!
I do too, and I liked the crunch. It wasn’t too much since you wilt the kale slightly, but it still had that in there.
Oh my goodness! This recipe looks good. Fantastic! I wanna grab it right now, but anyway, thanks for step by step and including the recipe of it. Will try to make it my own.
It’s such a great meal in the winter months. Hopefully all the steps help so you can make it at home to enjoy, too!
I really love your style of cooking. Hearty and homely and ideal for a growing family xx
Thanks! We try to make a huge variety of foods to try it all. But hearty meals speak to my southern heart.
I love that you just placed full potatoes on top and that they cooked! I wouldn’t have thought that possible. This sounds like a perfect meal for this weekend
It worked so well! I wasn’t quite sure but I’ve done potatoes in the slow cooker a few times now and it works!!
You did a wonderful job of creating a complete meal in your slow cooker. I don’t eat meat but I can appreciate a delicious dish.
I love when it’s all done in one thing like this. The slow cooker makes it so easy. I haven’t tried it, but I’d bet this is good without the meat, too, if you increase the veggies.
This recipe (and our pictures) look mouthwatering! I need to try this next time I make beef.
Thank you! It’s such a good dinner and easy to put together too.
I’ve never tried kale with beef stew. This recipe sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing the step-by-step directions. Seems fairly easy to make.
This was the first time I had, too. I like the bit of crunch it adds and the increased health benefits of the kale.
You had me at slow cooker. I always feel like there is less of a chance of me messing up a meal if it’s made in a slow cooker. This looks absolutely delicious, though I might lose the kale and bring back the peas!
I love using the slow cooker! It’s so easy to have a warm delicious dinner ready in the evening. You could easily swap out the veggies in it, that’s the great thing about cooking for yourself.
I am here for all stew recipes! I love to make stew in the winter and potatoes are perfect with it!
You’re right, stew is so perfect in the winter. It’s a great way to warm everyone up.
This stew looks delicious. I love stews especially during winter. I can’t wait to try to cook ur recipe. Thank you.
Thanks! Warm meals in the cold months are the best. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I enjoy almost anything I can make in my crock pot! This looks super yummy. I can’t wait to try it out.
I agree. The slow cooker is such an underrated kitchen appliance.
My husband isn’t the biggest fan of kale but the rest of this recipe looks so good, this might be a great way to get him to eat it! I’ll have to try it and report back.
I will admit I’m not the biggest fan of it either, but it works well in this recipe. It adds a bit of crunch to the meal. I’d love to know what he thinks of it!
Good reminder I need to make this again sometime. Last time my family and I had it, it was delish!
I’m glad you guys enjoyed the meal! We’ve had it a few times, too.
I love kale and potatoes. Too funny I just got my pressure cooker out today, time of year for it! Soup season!
It’s definitely that time of the year! It’s great weather for all the soups and stews and warm meals.
I am always fascinated with your recipes. Hopefully, I’ll have time this weekend to make this.
Thank you! It’s a great weekend meal and nice and warm for the cooler weather.