Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Stew

I want to be a meteorologist when I grow up. Seriously, in what other profession can you be wrong so often and have it affect so many people and still not only keep your job, but make a lot of money at it? It’s amazing, actually. So, the meteorologists, up till yesterday, were forecasting two big chances for snow this week! Exciting, right? Well, as of this morning (the first “big” chance), there’s just an icy rain going on outside. Oh, and the second big chance for later in the week? It went away altogether. Honestly, it would bug me a lot more if the kids were doing in-person school because everyone gets so excited about the possibility of having a snow day. But since they’re doing school from home anyway, we really only look forward to snow days because of the cozy food. So, today is still cold and icy, and that’s a good enough excuse to make some Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Stew.

This stew warms you completely, body and soul. There are tender potatoes, lean chicken, fresh herbs and spices and comforting veggies that you loved as a kid, like peas and carrots. Like any good stew, the flavor improves as it cooks, but this one is also good right away. It doesn’t take too long to whip up – probably less time than it takes to shovel the driveway. Coming in from the cold to a bowl of Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Stew is one of my favorite winter vibes.

For a lot of us, we love our stews in a slow cooker. The aromas are so amazing, and the flavors mellowing together all day long just makes it all that much better. The reason why I chose a stove top method for this Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Stew is because a lot of us don’t have the forethought to plan so far in advance. If you do, then you can totally make this stew in a slow cooker. Just omit the step where you brown the chicken, and just dump everything except the frozen veggies in the slow cooker in the morning, set it to low and let it go. Add the veggies during the last hour of cooking.

Yes, I said frozen veggies. Gasp! You guys. Frozen veggies are a life saver during the winter months, and you shouldn’t feel like you’re “cheating” by using them. We have bags and bags of frozen veggies in our freezer during the winter months. I throw them into stir fries, stews, pasta and potato dishes… they’re such an easy way to meet your daily veggie quotas. Cause if you’re like me, salads in the winter sometimes just aren’t always appealing. I like warm food in the winter, so I like warm veggies. If you want to make this stew with fresh veggies, be my guest, but it will take a lot longer and it’s not necessary.

Oh, and one last note about the chicken. I use all white meat chicken because my kids will revolt if I even try to sneak thigh meat into anything. I personally love chicken thighs. So much more flavor. If you fancy the thighs, by all means use them. Or use a combo of white and dark meat. I’ll envy you from afar, as sadly I’m not allowed. Wah.

Well, the meteorologists did get at least one thing right – it’s going to be freezing this weekend. Currently it’s 22 degrees outside. I can’t even think of a better way to cozy up than with a big bowl of this Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Stew. Make it this weekend, you’ll love it. Enjoy!

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat butter and oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add chicken and brown, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Remove the chicken onto a separate plate.

Add onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme and salt to the pot and cook until the onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly to scrape all the browned bits off the pot.

Add the potatoes and frozen vegetables. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes, until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken and cream plus 1/2 cup of water. Cover again and allow to simmer another 10-15 minutes until potatoes and chicken are cooked through.

Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.