Colorado celebrated its 149th year as a state at the beginning of August. But even before then, the pioneers who settled or moved along the territory took to open-fire cooking of rationed beans, stews and cornbread to gather strength and carry on in their journeys.

To this day, some restaurants in the state honor that early sustenance with their own hearty dishes. Here are a couple of recipes from The Fort, plus more Western-inspired dishes that should satisfy even the hungriest cowboy.

The Fort’s Hot Sausage Bean Dip

Now in its sixth decade, the Fort in Morrison has staked (no pun intended) its claim to the frontier food game, publishing its restaurant recipes in a long-running cookbook. The most recent edition, “The Fort Restaurant Cookbook,” by Holly Arnold Kinney, was published by T

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