As the sun begins to set earlier and leaves begin to change color, hearty comfort foods become even more necessary. This Southern-style chicken stew makes an incredible choice.
Add chicken, stock (or use our easy shortcut recipe below), seasonings such as salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme and paprika before simmering until cooked thoroughly.
1. Chicken and Vegetables
As temperatures begin to cool off, this cozy chicken stew recipe provides the perfect comforting meal. Easy and convenient, it makes great leftovers as well.
Place chicken pieces in a large stockpot, cover with water and bring to a boil before simmering until tender – about 30 minutes. Drain off any liquid that remains, straining it before saving as cooking liquid for future use.
Saute bacon until crisp; add garlic and cook for another two minutes before adding reserved chicken broth, milk and potatoes along with the desired seasonings (thyme, Cajun spice mix and parsley). Bring this dish up to a boil then reduce heat for 30 minutes to simmer before serving.
Make a thicker stew by creating a slurry of equal parts flour and water or chicken broth, stirring this into the simmering stew until desired thickness has been reached. Season with paprika as desired before serving; try adding frozen peas or corn for another fun twist to this classic recipe! For maximum convenience this stew may also be prepared in your slow cooker.
2. Beef and Vegetables
Chicken stew is an ideal comfort food to serve up on cold winter nights, featuring both beef and chicken stew elements in one easy, old-school recipe. Enjoy your classic chicken stew alongside biscuits or rolls to soak up all that tasty gravy!
Starting off this dish begins by searing chicken drumsticks and breast meat in butter to add deep, savory flavor, then cooking mushrooms to add texture and depth. Next comes vegetables and stock along with some flour to thicken. A splash of white wine gives this stew an elegant lift of acidity before finally finishing with cream for rich and creamy goodness!
To speed up the preparation of stew even faster, opt for rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken when making this dish. By doing so, no time is wasted boiling and simmering the animal before adding its shredded meat towards the end of cooking process.
3. Pork and Vegetables
Barbecue sauce provides the smoky base for this hearty stew, traditionally created using squirrel, rabbit or even opossum meat; today this classic Southern dish includes pork shoulder, potatoes, corn and lima beans with tomato-based gravy as the foundation. Additional flavor enhancers include paprika, Worcestershire sauce and garlic for additional spice!
If you want your stew to be extra creamy, take an additional step of straining out a cupful of potatoes and mashing them before returning them back into the pot – this will thicken the broth even more!
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker instead of using the skillet and let cook on high for 4 to 6 hours for optimal results. For extra spice, stir in 1 teaspoon or so of paprika or Cajun seasoning before simmering; crushed garlic can also add great flavor. Lastly, for additional vegetables try sprinkling frozen peas or green beans alongside corn when stirring together the ingredients.
4. Turkey and Vegetables
Make an easy yet satisfying turkey and vegetable stew using leftover roast turkey as well as root vegetables like turnips and rutabagas. A combination of herbs called Herbes de Provence (Winter savory, parsley, thyme and tarragon) adds extra flavor.
Browning chicken thighs before adding them to the pot helps seal in their flavors. For an extra-rich stew, add a splash of cream. Or use cornstarch slurry or flour mixed into broth as an alternative option to thicken it while it simmers.
This hearty and nutritious stew features lots of chunks of chicken, veggies, and plenty of potatoes – it can easily be prepared in either the slow cooker or oven and makes great use of leftover rotisserie chicken juices or canned or boxed broth if time is an issue.