Meatball and Vegetable Stew

I saw this recipe while flipping through my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and was astounded at how little prep time it entails. True, it's not a "made-from-scratch" stew, but it looked good enough for me to take for my lunches this week to work.

After reading the fat content on the original recipe I decided to look for turkey meatballs instead. I found them in the meat aisle, not the frozen food section - look for Shady Brook already-cooked turkey meatballs if you want to make this lighter as well (and cut them in half, as they are rather large). Also, the picture on the website is much more appetizing than mine; but what can you expect, it's comfort food!

Meatball and Vegetable Stew

from Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 4 servings

1 16- to 18-ounce package frozen cooked meatballs
1/2 of a 16-ounce package (about 2 cups) loose-pack frozen broccoli, corn, and red sweet peppers, or other mixed vegetables
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic, or stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 12-ounce jar mushroom gravy
1/3 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed

Place meatballs and frozen vegetables in a 4 quart slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, gravy, water, and basil; pour over meatballs and vegetables.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.