Place carrots in bottom of slow cooker.
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into bite-sized rounds
In a large bowl, use hands or a fork to gently combine meatball ingredients. Form meat mixture into 1-inch balls.
1 lb. extra lean ground beef, 1/3 cup Italian style seasoned breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon pepper
Place meatballs on top of carrots in the slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, combine tomato paste, broth, marinara, seasoned salt, oregano, and basil. Pour over meatballs.
6 ounces tomato paste, 2 cups beef broth, plus additional (to thin to desired consistency, as needed), ½ cup marinara sauce, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon basil
Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours or on HIGH for about 2 hours. For a thinner soup rather than a stew, add extra broth until it reaches desired consistency.
Steam vegetables in microwave just until crisp-tender (about 3-4 minutes). Stir vegetables into stew and serve over pasta or rice, if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley or fresh basil.
1 (10.8 ounce) package frozen Italian-style vegetables (I used Birds Eye Steamfresh Italian Blend)