🌾 Chuckwagon January 2 Recipe🫘 Slow-Simmered Ham & Bean Camp Stew

🫘 Slow-Simmered Ham & Bean Camp Stew

A classic “second-day” winter stew — nourishing, humble, and deeply comforting.

After New Year’s Day, this is the kind of meal that restores strength, uses simple pantry staples, and fills the house with a calm, steady warmth.

🥓 Ingredients

• 2 cups diced ham (leftover ham works beautifully)

• 1 tbsp butter or bacon grease

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 2 cups dried navy beans or great northern beans, soaked overnight(or 2 cans, drained & rinsed)

• 5–6 cups chicken or ham broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp thyme

• ½ tsp black pepper

• Salt to taste (add near the end)

• Optional: ham bone or hock for extra richness

🍳 Instructions

1. Start the BaseIn a Dutch oven, melt butter or bacon grease. Add onion and garlic; cook until fragrant.

2. Add Vegetables & HamStir in carrots, celery, and diced ham. Cook 3–4 minutes.

3. Build the StewAdd beans, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper. Stir well.

4. Simmer SlowBring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer:

   • Dry beans: 1½–2 hours

   • Canned beans: 40–45 minutes

5. Finish & ServeRemove bay leaf. Taste and add salt as needed.Serve hot with cornbread, biscuits, or crusty bread.

🤠 Chuckwagon Tip

January 2 meals were often about using what remained and letting simple food restore the body — this stew gets better the longer it simmers and tastes even richer the next day.