Creamy Beef Stew

I found this spectacular recipe for a hearty, creamy stew. It freezes VERY well!! All of the veggies were still nice and crisp (I don't like them mushy..), and even the noodles held their texture! Enjoy :)

Creamy Beef and Pasta Stew
(original recipe here)

• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar or part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 cup chopped potatoes (quick cooked)
• 1/2 cup chopped raw carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped raw celery
• 1/4 cup chopped raw onions 
• handful of spinach or kale (optional)
• 2 cups uncooked small pasta (whole wheat for extra healthiness) 
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups milk

Directions

Cook beef. Wash and chop all veggies. Boil potatoes for about 3 minutes, drain. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT 2 cups milk. Store in ziplock bag in freezer. On the day you want to eat it,  dump frozen stew mixture into crock pot and pour 2 cups milk over it. This will thaw it just enough so you can break it apart with a spoon to fit into your crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours or so, until veggies are to your desired tenderness. Give it a stir a half hour or so before you serve to make sure everything is well mixed. Makes roughly 4-6 servings.