Campfire Stew
Campfire Stew is an easy, warming and slimming friendly meal for anyone counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers or similar.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories409
- Carbs47g
- Protein24g
- Fat15g
- Saturates5g
- Sugars11g
Your dishes
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
This Campfire Stew has to be one of the easiest, yet tastiest slimming friendly recipes we’ve done so far! In fact, it’s one of the most popular recipes over on our Facebook group and we love how much you’ve been enjoying it!
Just throw the ingredients into your slow cooker before you out go to work in the morning and come home to the fab smoky aroma, what could be easier than that?
This Campfire Stew is one of many slimming friendly slow cooker recipes that we’ve created. These are all really simple, and the perfect kind of recipe to tuck into at the end of a long day.
What diets is this Campfire Stew suitable for?
This Campfire Stew recipe is suitable if you’re gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions:
- Worcestershire sauce
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients or equipment to make Campfire Stew?
This recipe is great as most of the ingredients such as beans, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes etc. will likely in your cupboard already!
The main star of the dish is the gammon joint, and a cheap one will do. Just make sure to soak it in water overnight or it may be a bit too salty for your taste. We’ve used an unsmoked gammon joint due to the saltiness, but you can use smoked if you like.
As for the hot sauce, we generally use Franks as it adds a bit of heat without overdoing it and also brings a nice bit of acidity. If you don’t have any you can leave it out without any problems. You should be able to get this in the spice aisle of the supermarket, or substitute with standard hot sauce.
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You can pick up a slow cooker like this one from Amazon.
The Instant Pot is basically a super slow cooker with a whole load of other functions. It’s the safest pressure cooker out there – and you can have pulled pork cooked in just an hour! Yes, an hour! They’re available on Amazon, and if you follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter we’ll let you know whenever it’s on offer.
How many calories are in this Campfire Stew?
There are 409 calories in each portion of our slimming friendly Campfire Stew. This means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence recipe category. You can find all of our other Weekly Indulgence recipes here.
This Campfire Stew is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Slow cooker method
Step 1
Soak the gammon joint overnight in cold water if necessary.
Step 2
Reserve half of the sliced peppers, and add all the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir well and switch on.
Step 3
Set the slow cooker to a high setting and cook for 6-8 hours (you can leave it on longer).
Step 4
30 minutes before the end of cooking stir in the reserved peppers.
Step 5
After 6 hours, check the consistency of your sauce and the tenderness of your meat. The meat should be starting to fall apart and the sauce thickening. You can remove the lid and cook on high to finish the meat and thicken the sauce if necessary.
Step 6
The meat should have broken up, but if not shred it in the slow cooker with two forks and mix well before serving.
Instant Pot method
Step 1
Soak the gammon joint overnight in cold water if necessary.
Step 2
Reserve half of the sliced peppers, and add all the rest of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir well.
Step 3
Turn the valve to “sealing” and cook on Manual for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Step 4
Stir in the remaining peppers, close the lid, turn the valve to “sealing” and cook on Manual for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will reach pressure, then let the pressure release naturally.
Step 5
The meat should have broken up, but if not shred it in the Instant Pot with two forks and mix well before serving.
Oven method
Step 1
Soak the gammon joint overnight in cold water if necessary.
Step 2
Reserve half of the sliced peppers, and add all the rest of the ingredients to the casserole dish, stir well and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Step 3
Cook for 2-3 hours at 170-180°C, checking every 30 minutes or so.
Step 4
Check the consistency of the sauce and the tenderness of your meat. The meat should be starting to fall apart and the sauce thickening.
Step 5
You can remove the lid and continue cooking to finish the meat and thicken the sauce if necessary.
Step 6
The meat should have broken up, but if not shred it in the slow cooker with two forks and mix well.
Step 7
15 minutes before the end of cooking stir in the reserved peppers and serve.
What should you should serve with Campfire Stew?
Any of the following go really well with Campfire Stew. It’s one of those dishes that goes with pretty much anything. It’s so hearty it can of course be eaten on its own!
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values.
How do you know when the Campfire Stew is cooked?
You should cook this Campfire Stew until the gammon literally falls apart when pulled with a pair of forks.
This should take approx 1 hour in the pressure cooker, 6 hours in the slow cooker (high) or 2 hours in the oven (170°C).
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Campfire Stew in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Campfire Stew in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze Campfire Stew?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer! Unless you fancy mystery food for dinner haha.
How do I reheat this Campfire Stew?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Campfire Stew
Campfire Stew is an easy, warming and slimming friendly meal for anyone counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers or similar.
-
Prep Time
40 MINS
-
Cook Time
6 HR
- KCals 409
- Carbs 47G
Instructions
In the Slow Cooker
- Soak the gammon joint overnight in cold water if necessary
- Reserve half of the sliced peppers, and add all the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker, stir well and switch on
- Set slow cooker to high setting and cook for 6-8 hours on high (you can leave it on longer)
- 30 minutes before the end of cooking stir in the reserved peppers
- After 6 hours, check consistency of sauce and tenderness of meat. The meat should be starting to fall apart and sauce thickening. You can remove the lid and cook on high to finish the meat and thicken the sauce if necessary
- The meat should have broken up, but if not shred it in the slow cooker with two forks and mix well before serving
In the Instant Pot
- Soak the gammon joint overnight in cold water if necessary
- Reserve half of the sliced peppers, and add all the rest of the ingredients to the Instant Pot, stir well
- Turn valve to "sealing" and cook on Manual for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally
- Stir in the remaining peppers, close the lid, turn valve to "sealing" and cook on Manual for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will reach pressure, then let the pressure release naturally
- The meat should have broken up, but if not shred it in the Instant Pot with two forks and mix well before serving
In the oven
- Soak the gammon joint over night in cold water if necessary
- Reserve half of the sliced peppers, and add all the rest of the ingredients to the casserole dish, stir well and cover with a tight fitting lid
- Cook for 2-3 hours at 170-180°C, checking every 30 minutes or so
- Check the consistency of sauce and tenderness of meat. The meat should be starting to fall apart and sauce thickening
- You can remove the lid and continue cooking to finish the meat and thicken the sauce if necessary
- The meat should have broken up, but if not shred it in the slow cooker with two forks and mix well
- 15 minutes before the end of cooking stir in the reserved peppers and serve
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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208 comments
See what others have to say
AmandaSaturday 17th March 2018
HI , have made this today and my gammon joint is not falling apart. What have I done wrong?
PAtFriday 9th March 2018
Just eaten mine it was absolutely gorgeous so tasty and filling I had it on its own mmmmm
NicolaWednesday 7th March 2018
Made this today!!!! Absolutely fab! Chuck it all in n let it cook away in the slow cooker all day…… my kinda food ❤
ALEX RAINEYTuesday 6th March 2018
Hi, would you need to use baked beans or could they be left out? This looks so good but my partner hates beans. Thanks
Jade ThackerSaturday 24th February 2018
Our slow cooker has been on for nearly 7 hours and the gammon isn’t falling apart and very tough to pull apart with two forks….
What have I done wrong?? ????
We don’t have a slow cooker where you can set it on low/med/high temp… it is what it is… wondering if that’s the problem.
RosieWednesday 21st February 2018
Hi
Do i add the juice of the baked beans ? .Last time it seemed very watery .
It was delicious but i thought it was going to be a little thicker .
Thank you.
AliceFriday 16th February 2018
I have this in my slow cooker at home… I used Red Kidney Beans in Chilli as that was all I had and also added a little bit of water as I hadn’t read the comments.
Will it be ok? Not fussed if its more spicy than usual as we love hot food!
Thanks
KirstySaturday 10th February 2018
Hi.. I don’t like spicy/hot food.. can I leave out the hot sauce and chilli flakes or will this ruin the flavour? Thank you.
Helen DaviesMonday 5th February 2018
Hi
What setting do I use on the Pressure King Pro please?
Sarah BradshawSunday 4th February 2018
Yummy! ???? This was so easy to make and myself along with my three children loved this. I served it with SW jacket wedges. Loads left over so have freeze in single portions for those days I can’t be bothered to cook. Would be great with rice or pasta so will try that next time. Thanks for the recipe andI simply love your website full of lovely recipes. I’ve tried many and they never disappoint.????
HeatherTuesday 30th January 2018
Wow, so nice…and easy!!
I used the slow cooker and the recipe was spot on. I accidentally forgot to buy paprika but it was fine. I added some fennel and parsley. Bought 750g unsmoked gammon from Aldi, cut off the little fat that was on it and soaked it overnight before putting it on to cook the next morning. 8 hours later it was perfect. Celery isn’t strong, it creates a mild flavour once cooked. Partner had it with potato croquettes and I had a salad. Sooo filling. Will DEFINITELY be making this again 🙂
DavidSunday 28th January 2018
Can I omit the celery as I can’t stand it? And is smoked gammon better than unsmoked to use?
Thanks
Allison St ClairFriday 26th January 2018
Made this yesterday for the very first time, it most definitely will not be the last!!! I did think when I had put all the ingredients in (saving half the peppers for later on in the cooking) that it didnt have enough liquid, but I was wrong. About an hour or so into cooking the liquid came from the vegetables and made its own stock. At about 4 hours in I tried the gammon joint and thought this is no way going to become “pulled” again, be patient as at 5.5 hours cooking it did just that. It was at this point I added the reserved peppers. By 6 hours of cooking with the smell driving us crazy we tucked in and I put this with what I call “dirty chips” SW chips made in the usual way, when nearly cooked add a clove of crushed garlic and 2 fresh chillies for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from oven and add 20g of grated lower fat cheese. The only different tweak I made to the recipe was to add a teaspoon of chilli flakes (it says a pinch) and also 2 fresh chilli’s but we like things hot. This is one of THE most incredible recipes I have EVER made! Thanks Pinch of Nom!!!!
NicolaWednesday 24th April 2019
Hi, I’ve got a cooked gammon joint can I adapt this recipe to use it?
CateFriday 26th April 2019
Hi Nicola,
Yes you could! You may want to shred it add it in the last hour or so if using the slow cooker method.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Claire MajorThursday 25th January 2018
Just wondered would this work withou the baked beans? My hubby really doesn’t like them but not sure if it would taste right or if the sauce would thicken without them.
Thanks
PaulaTuesday 16th January 2018
Trying this tomorrow- my gammon is 1.5kg so will I have to double rest of the igredients and cooking time? (Slow cooker). Thanks.
VickyTuesday 16th January 2018
Absolutely delicious! A perfect meal for busy families.
PS love your recipes xxx
JayneMonday 15th January 2018
Hi. Hoping to try this in the oven as no slow cooker. May be a daft question, but do I discard all the water the gammon has been soaking in as will be very salty. I often cook whole gammons discard water before cooking. Thank you
LauraSunday 14th January 2018
What’s the best way to reheat this? I have a large portion to reheat so won’t all fit in microwave, can it be reheated in oven or in a saucepan?
Thanks x
lynda rogersFriday 12th January 2018
love it so did hubby who didnt like the look of it at first!
Definately a keeper.
Gemma BoyleSunday 7th January 2018
Tried this for the first time today but without the hot sauce as its not my cup of tea. It was lovely and have plenty left for leftovers. Thank you for a lovely recipe, I have recommended your site to friends and look forward to trying more of your food
HannahThursday 4th January 2018
Hi could you use chicken instead of gammon please?
KateSaturday 16th December 2017
I made this for tea today and it is fabulous! So easy and pretty much all staple SW ingredients. Thank you for all the great recipes!
StevieThursday 14th December 2017
i Don’t have any beans will that be fine ?
AliciTuesday 5th December 2017
Hi, I was wondering, do I need to drain the kidney beans as it doesn’t say?
KarenFriday 17th November 2017
Would you just microwave the leftovers? If so how long?
SamFriday 17th November 2017
Really want to make this but am allergic to tomatoes, so can’t use Tinned or pasata, any ideas What I can use
MargaretWednesday 15th November 2017
Would this be ok if I didn’t use kidney beans plz?
CarolWednesday 15th November 2017
Hi have all ingredients but don’t have hot sauce as supermarket didn’t have it, will it taste ok without for this time, first time to make it and I’ll be using my oven so will I add some water to the sauce thanks in advance 🙂
Sean ReillyTuesday 14th November 2017
Hi made this today and enjoyed by the whole family my only fault with it was how salty it was even though I used an unsmoked Gammon joint and soaked it overnight although I didn’t change the water so that may have helped.
Is there any cooking tips to reduce the saltiness of any dishes??
HannahMonday 13th November 2017
What is this best served with? Thanks
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