During my time in Las Vegas in the early ’90s, I stumbled upon a captivating recipe, possibly in the Las Vegas Sun or the Las Vegas Review-Journal. It centered around a fireman who took on the cooking responsibilities at his station. Over time, I feared this recipe was lost, as attempts to locate it in the archives proved fruitless. My recollections suggested it was an in-depth look at a local Las Vegas firefighter, yet the abundance of Firehouse-themed cookbooks made me question my memory, wondering if it was actually a promotional (PR) piece for a commercial cookbook.
In my quest, I explored several cookbooks from that era with Firehouse themes, including Joseph Bonanno’s “Firehouse Grilling Cookbook” and John Sineno’s “Firefighter’s Cookbook“. To add to the complexity, I discovered similar recipes labeled as Cowboy Stew.
A delightful find occurred while visiting family over the holidays: a very faded clipping of the recipe in one of my mother’s collections, precisely what I had been searching for.
Though I am still eager to uncover the original source for proper attribution, as the clipping was just of the recipe, I present the Firehouse Stew recipe as published around 1993 in one of the Las Vegas newspapers. It’s worth noting that “stew” might be a bit misleading, as the dish’s consistency leans more towards a casserole.
Firehouse Stew
- 1 Pound Ground Beef (alternative: 1″ diced sirloin steak)
- 3 Potatoes, diced (1″)
- 1 Green Pepper, chopped
- 1/2 Onion, chopped
- 8oz Kielbasa Sausage, sliced
- 10oz Frozen Corn
- 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Brown and drain the ground beef. Add the potatoes, green pepper, onion, kielbasa, chicken stock (if using), and frozen corn. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and finish with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
In our home, we often paired this hearty dish with a salad and dinner rolls or a fresh baguette.
Despite finding similar recipes online, none matched this specific combination of ingredients. If you have information about the original source, please reach out. I would greatly appreciate it, especially if you possess a copy of the full newspaper article, as it contained a few other recipes I vaguely recall.