🌾 Chuckwagon Recipe #35: Campfire Bacon, Bean & Tomato Stew

🌾 Chuckwagon Recipe #35: Campfire Bacon, Bean & Tomato Stew

Serves: 6–8Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 45 minutes

A rich, smoky, trail-style stew made with crispy bacon, hearty beans, tender potatoes, and fire-kissed tomatoes. This one tastes like it came straight off the range at sundown — simple ingredients, BIG cowboy flavor.

🥓 Ingredients

• 6 slices thick bacon, chopped

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 medium potatoes, diced

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained & rinsed

• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (fire-roasted if available)

• 4 cups beef or chicken broth

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp salt (to taste)

• Optional: 1 tsp Worcestershire or a dash of chili flakes

🍳 Instructions

1. Cook the Bacon

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon, leaving drippings in the pot.

2. Sauté Veggies

Add onion and garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add potatoes and carrots; sauté 3–4 minutes.

3. Build the Stew

Add bacon back to the pot. Stir in beans, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings.

4. Simmer

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30–35 minutes until potatoes are tender and stew thickens.

5. Serve

Dish into bowls and enjoy with skillet biscuits, fry bread, or hot cornbread.

🤠 Chuckwagon Tip

Add a splash of Worcestershire at the end — it gives the stew a deep, smoky “campfire” finish that tastes straight off a prairie cookfire.