Certain recipes bring fond memories of loved ones or special seasons of my life. This cowboy stew recipe reminds me of some pretty lean times in our family's life. In fact, I had to quit cooking it for awhile, because my family got tired of it and begged me not to cook it so much.

My son Adam still ribs me about cooking Cowboy Stew so much when he was younger. But now that he has two children of his own, I bet his wife Jenni might like to try it. 

I still love this recipe. Add cornbread and a salad on the side, and you've got a great meal! It provided many nutritious meals for my family when we were on a tight budget.

I've tweaked the original recipe a bit from Thelma Kuritz's grand prize winner in the 1973 Beaumont Enterprise and Journal Recipe Contest. I hope you enjoy it!

Cowboy Stew

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter (or margarine)
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 onion, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to tast
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can whole kernel yellow corn
2 cans ranch-style beans
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups water (or enough to make sauce without scorching)

Directions

* Melt butter in 5-6 quart pot.
* Add ground beef and brown well.
* Add onion, green onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; saute with browned meat until soft.
* Add salt, pepper, chili powder, and sugar; stir in well.
* Add rotel tomatoes, corn, beans, cubed potatoes, and water.
* Stir all together and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to keep from scorching.
* Reduce heat and cover.
* Simmer until potatoes are soft (about 30-40 minutes).

[If time is short, the potatoes can be boiled separately about 15 minutes, drained and added to mixture.]

Makes 8 generous servings.

Can you think of a recipe that brings back vivid memories of the past?

Photo/KarenJordan

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