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bowl of hearty cowboy stew

Easy Cowboy Stew

A thick and hearty one-pot Cowboy Stew made with ground beef, smoked sausage, bacon, tender potatoes, baked beans, corn, tomatoes, and green chiles.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • pound ground beef
  • 1 12-ounce package smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced
  • 6 slices bacon chopped
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 3 –4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 32-ounce can baked beans
  • 1 can sweet corn drained
  • 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles undrained
  • 1 7-ounce can diced green chiles
  • 2 russet potatoes peeled if desired and diced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish

Method
 

  1. How to Make Cowboy Stew
  2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it in a small bowl. Set it aside.
  3. Add the ground beef to the bacon drippings and cook until it is almost completely browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. If there is a large amount of grease in the pot, carefully drain off the excess.
  4. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
  5. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook for another 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Sprinkle the flour, salt, black pepper, and chili powder over the meat mixture. Stir until everything is evenly coated, then cook for 1–2 minutes.
  7. Add the diced potatoes, baked beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, reserved bacon, and water. Stir everything together thoroughly.
  8. Reduce the heat to low and allow the stew to simmer for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the stew has thickened.
  9. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving, if desired.