Cowboy Stew – Since my Mother In Law Has Requested It

I grew up here in Texas. I also grew up eating Cowboy Stew. This is a great easy dish that is great when the weather is cold, and I also enjoy it when it is hot. In other words, there is pretty much never a time that I would turn this down. (Unless I just ate. I mean, I don’t want to make a pig out of myself!)

So, because my mother in law has requested that I write this recipe down for her for ages, here is how you make Cowboy Stew!
The first this that you need to do is brown the ground beef.

While the beef is browning, chop the onion and bell pepper. After draining any fat that you want to remove (by using ground sirloin you can actually skip that step) add the bell pepper and onion.

Now is the time to open the canned items and drain them.

If you have a tabby named Trouble, the can opener will serve as her cue to make a holy racket. (In case you were wondering, she happens to think that anything you open is for her – I’m not sure where she got the idea, but she never misses an opportunity to tell me)

Once everything is drained, add it all to the pot. This is also the point that you may realize that you should have used a bigger pot. You may also debate with yourself the merits of changing pots and adding to the dishes that need to be done.

Now peel, chop and boil the potatoes in another pot. This does two things – it allows you to drain part of the starch off and to not wait forever for the potatoes to cook in the stew.

Once the potatoes are soft, drain them and add them to the stew. Simmer for a bit more for the flavors to meld and enjoy!

Cowboy Stew

2 pounds of ground sirloin
1 bell pepper (diced)
1 onion (chopped)
4 potatoes (peeled, chopped)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chilies) (drained)
2 cans kidney beans (drained)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can carrots (drained)
2 tablespoons garlic salt

Brown the ground beef and drain off excess fat. Sautee onion and bell pepper in pan with ground beef. Once the onion and bell pepper are sautéed, add garlic salt, and all other ingredients – except potatoes. Set stew to simmer. Boil potatoes in separate pot. Once the potatoes are soft, drain the excess water and add to the stew. Simmer an additional 15 minutes with all ingredients and then enjoy!

Love,

Meg