Dig into a hearty bowl of One Pot Campfire Stew, packed with Southern flavour and a hint of spice. Tender gammon simmers with sweet bell peppers, butternut squash, creamy white beans, and bold Cajun seasoning-perfect for a cosy night in or fireside supper.
This rustic one-pot dish is all about big flavour and minimal fuss. The smoky, spicy broth clings to every bite, while the veg softens into a rich, comforting stew. Just add some sides of your choice and you're all set.
Whenever I think of campfire cooking, I always think of a big pot hung above a self-lit campfire and of course for that you need a special kind of pot that can handle that kind of cooking style.
One of the most popular pots used at campfires is cast iron because they can be used on the stove, in the oven, on a fire and outdoors. They retain heat really well and are perfect for dishes like this One Pot Campfire Stew.
Usually, for campfire cooking, especially this side of the Atlantic - non enamelled cast iron pans are preferred. They do take a bit of getting used to, but once you know how to cook with and look after a cast iron pan, you will love it for life.
In the USA you will find many families who have had cast iron cookware passed down to generations, it's the pride of kitchens everywhere and is a really popular and loved style of cooking, especially in the Southern states. One of the most popular brands in the USA, of course, being Lodge, made in Tennessee since 1896.
There are many who abandon a perfectly good cast iron pan because they didn't know how to cook or look after it, causing it to go rusty or lose its seasoning. In fact, I was actually one of those people years back when I bought my first cast iron skillet and failed to research how to use and cook with it correctly.
I am sure someone somewhere now has that skillet perfectly restored and in their kitchen because like me at the time, many don't realise that even the rustiest and neglected pieces of non enamelled cast iron cookware can be restored. It's actually a huge hobby of some, searching garage sales and thrift stores in search of old neglected pieces of cast iron they can take home and re-season.
Now years later, I absolutely love my Lodge skillets, they are the best piece of cookware you can own for cooking a piece of steak or similar meat because of the amazing sear and colour you get. That is just not achievable with a regular pan in my opinion.
Another popular style of cast iron cookware is Le Creuset, it's a lot easier to care for because most of the pieces come enamelled in a variety of beautiful colours. I have a couple of pieces and they are perfect for casseroles and stews because of the fact you can start off on the stove and transfer to the oven. So seemed a fitting piece to choose to cook my delicious Campfire Stew.
With cast iron and campfires on my mind, I could help but think of those spicy Southern flavours and so for my version of Campfire Stew, I add a spicy twist with some Cajun spice which packs a good bit of heat and makes this dish absolutely delicious and packed with flavour.
For a natural sweetness against the heat, butternut squash a really versatile speed vegetable is also added. It's one of my favourite speed vegetables to use in recipes.
Although I love pulled pork, I am really not keen on shredded cured pork (gammon), I prefer to have pieces of gammon so that it feels like a proper stew, so I cube up my meat and cook it in the oven in my beloved Le Creuset Casserole Pot, so that it keeps it shape and feels like a proper stew/casserole.
Of course, I am sure this would work perfectly in a Slow Cooker too if you want to throw all the ingredients in before heading to work, so you have a delicious meal once you return home.
This Campfire Stew would pair up well with so many different sides - rice, pasta or Perfect Chips. But for me, it just had to be my delicious Mashed Potatoes, because mashed potatoes are just perfect for anything with a sauce like this.
and if you love casseroles and stews, check out some of these other recipes:
- Beef and Vegetable Casserole
- Chicken and Baked Bean Casserole
- Sausage and Lentil Casserole
- Slow Cooked Chicken Casserole
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato and Turkey Casserole
- Creamy Pork Casserole
- Sausage Casserole
- Smoked Paprika Chicken Casserole
- Tuscan Beef Casserole
- Mediterranean Chicken Casserole
- Irish Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Brisket
or head on over to my FULL RECIPE INDEX with over 700 delicious Slimming Eats Recipes to browse, by ingredients, meal type etc.
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Recipe Card
One Pot Campfire Stew
Dig into a hearty bowl of One Pot Campfire Stew, packed with Southern flavour and a hint of spice. Tender gammon simmers with sweet bell peppers, butternut squash, creamy white beans, and bold Cajun seasoning—perfect for a cosy night in or fireside supper.
Ingredients
- 500g of cured pork (gammon), any visible fat trimmed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 300g of butternut squash, cubed
- 2 cups (480ml) of chicken stock
- 2 cups (480ml) of chopped tomatoes
- 450g of canned white beans, drained (I use Great Northern Beans, but pinto or cannellini are fine too)
- 4 tbs of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
- Cooking oil spray
- salt and black pepper to season
- For the cajun spice:
- 1 tbs of sweet paprika (not smoked)
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of oregano
- ½ teaspoon of thyme
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180c/350f (gas mark 4)
- Spray a large ovenproof casserole pot with some cooking oil spray.
- Add the onion and peppers and fry to soften, adding in a little stock to prevent any sticking.
- Add the garlic, butternut squash, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, cajun seasoning, Tabasco and stock and mix to combine.
- Add in the cured pork.
- Bring to a boil, cover and then place in the oven for approx 1.5-2 hours. The uncured pork should be lovely and tender.
- Season as needed with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with your choice of sides.
- As with any casserole or stew, this is even better on day two if you have any leftover of course.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1 servingAmount Per Serving Calories 348Total Fat 6.8gSaturated Fat 2.3gSodium 568mgCarbohydrates 41.9gFiber 11.1gSugar 8.9gProtein 32.2g
helen ludlow says
I already have a premixed jar of Cajun seasoning - how much of this should I use for the recipe please
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Helen, I would use about 2 tbs, just be aware that the taste may differ slightly, as not all premixed Cajun seasonings are equal.
Kay says
Hiya
Can I make this in my pressure king pro? I know you use an instant pot so was just wondering how long you would cook it for?
Thanks
Kay
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Kay, yes it should work fine in the instant pot, I would cook for about 25 mins, letting the pressure release naturally. Do let me know how it works out. I do plan to test it out next time in the Instant Pot, but don't like to put instructions for that method until I have.
Ann Marie says
Hi, I'm looking to use up left over veg I have and have green kenyiks as well. Love the idea of the Cajun spice but I'm wondering how much lentils would I need to use instead of the meat?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Ann - I think about 1 to 1.5 cups of dried lentils should be plenty.
lorena says
Hi Shevy,that looks lush.How can i do it in slow cooker pls?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
hi Lorena - I would do low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours
Marie says
Hi, just a heads up that the instructions here don’t seem to mention where to add the beans, as far as I can see. I’ve gone ahead and thrown them in with everything else at step 4 and am hoping for the best! Thanks for the great recipes.
Donna says
Hi, I did this camfire-stew tonight for dinner. I used sausages and it came out absolutely lovvvely!! I will definitely do this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Carrie says
What is a substitute for gammon for someone who lives in a tiny town in Canada where that doesn't exist?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
You can use cottage roll, visible fat removed, or if you can’t get that either, just pork shoulder will work, it’s not cured so you won’t get that same gammon flavour, but it will still taste good. Again all visible fat should be removed if following slimming world.
Carrie says
We do have cottage roll! I made this tonight and it was fabulous! I used the Instant Pot since I didn't have much time. Next time I would reduce the cooking time by maybe 5 min as the vegetables were quite mushy, and it turned out on the watery side but I will DEFINITELY be making this over and over again!
Heather says
I've made this and it is too salty from the meat with no extra added salt. How do I stop this from happening? I even swapped the stock for water? (Family cooking with a toddler so don't use salt at all)
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
I use cured pork (cottage roll) which is possibly not as salty as certain cuts of gammon. You could try an overnight soak of the gammon or a quick boil before adding it to the recipe, which should remove some of that excess saltiness.
chelle says
Heavenly. I love this and will definitely be making it again. Thanks for all your hard work sharing your delicious recipes. It is much appreciated.
CydD says
This was SO GOOD!!! Used a smoked ham steak and it was fabulous! I am so impressed by all your recipes---every one that I've tried has been wonderful, and doesn't taste "sin free" at all! Thank you for all the glorious meals we've had from your website!