Super Easy Meatball Stew

My husband usually makes all the Cajun dishes around here, because basically I have faced the facts and his cooking is just better than mine most of the time.   However, last night he was not home yet and I wanted a meatball stew.  So, I did what any good wife would do and called him for his specific directions on how to make it "just like his".  It ended up coming out just like I wanted it to and the ingredients are so basic I wanted to share...if you are good at cajun cooking this will be not necessary, but if you get intimidated by getting the perfect gravy going then read on!

What you need:
    I used about a pound of ground meat, use more if you want to feed more than 6 people.
    In big bowl, add Tony's to meat, a little bread crumbs (1/2 cup) and a few pinches of crushed garlic and a few teaspoons of sugar. I added a dash of browning gravy.  Use hands to mash all together then make into small meatballs.  Put aside.

   In another bowl:
    2 small onions cut them not super fine, but leave chunks, some small some bigger.
    2 large green bell peppers ( I was lucky to use some from my garden!  I love that)  Same as onions cut them up, leaving some big for texture.  I add Tony's to this too and put more garlic in with veggies.

 

This is your veggies ready to go.  Yum!

 Now, heat up on medium heat a large, deep pot, lightly cover bottom with Olive Oil and when it is hot, add all meatballs.  Here is the key.  You want them to get this brown color on the bottom, almost burnt, before you flip them over.  It takes 10 min or more, you just keep checking one until it looks like this.  Leave all the grease that it makes, that is the gravy starting!

After almost an hour of turning and simmering....

You want to get a good browning on all sides, turning every 10 minutes or so.  After the meat is cooked all the way, add water (like 3/4 of a cup at a time) then put top on and let the water cook down.  Do this a few times.  After the meat has cooked close to an hour with you adding water and such, add the bowl of veggies and more water.  Cover and let cook down more, adding water and stirring every 10 minutes or so.  Give it another 30 minutes at least to let veggies cook.  (Key to gravy: you never want TOO much water added at a time, small bits and time to cook down helps.)

I served it with small sweet peas.  To get them really sweet, cook them an hour or so with lots of butter, some pepper and the secret ingredient I got from Shannon's mom, SUGAR!  Yes, just add 2 tablespoons or so to the pot.  Yum.

Serve stew over rice with the peas.  I was so hungry when it was all done, I forgot to take a picture!  When I eat leftovers today, I will take a picture.

Is there a recipe you would love to share?? Please do!