Autumn is coming! And with that comes all the bounty of the harvest season full of comfort foods and snuggle in sessions. While I’m totally savoring this gorgeous weather we’ve been having here in Ohio, I’m also peeking in on my volunteer garden. These yummies got me hankerin’ for a hearty chicken stew.

Sound good?

Let’s cook up a meal perfect for any day, but especially when the squash is at its finest. See all my other recipes HERE.

First, I just want to revisit my garden story. If you recall, I mentioned how I paid $50 for seed that didn’t grow (first story HERE, second story HERE), but mostly what my garden filled with is volunteers, including this butternut squash. What a sweet surprise! Though I have grown squash for many years, but didn’t plan on it this year.

RECIPE

Hearty Chicken Stew

This recipe is written in doubled format to suit my family portions, so feel free to adjust to your needs.

• 2 T. oil – olive oil or avocado oil works best
• 2 lbs. chicken breast cut into 1″ chunks
• 4 T. all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion cut into large sections
• 5 large russet potatoes (or similar) peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
• 5 c. butternut squash peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 c. chopped Roma or cherry tomatoes
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1-2 granny smith apples cut into chunks – peel if desired.
• 3 large bay leaves
• 2 T. dried parsley or ¼ c fresh parsley
• salt/pepper to taste. Keep in mind if your stock is already salted and also that potatoes soak up salt as well. TIP: If you have an already too salty soup or stew, just add a potato to soak it up.

STEP 1

Now we’ve got our ingredients ready to go and it’s time to get cookin’. {{yummy fist pump}} This is my youngest jumping in to join in the fun. All my kids love to cook and bake and I’m confident can prepare a full course meal complete with dessert without help. Also, notice my cookie jar turned compost crock hard at work.

First, you want to use a Dutch oven to heat your oil. While oil is warming, toss/coat your chicken chunks in the flour with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.

STEP 2

Once your chicken is cooked, add a ½ c. of chicken broth to get all that juicy flavor out of the pot. Then, add your vegetables and fruit (squash, carrots, onion, garlic, potatoes, apple, and tomatoes), remaining stock, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes and squash are tender. Uncover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes more.

STEP 3

Once you have your reduced stew, remove the bay leaves and season with parsley.

Dish up, pair with my no-knead bread and ENJOY!

Additionall, you can store this in a refrigerator for 3-4 days.

SHARE

As always, I want to share my passions with you and cooking is definitely one of them. Have you ever tried this kind of stew before? Leave some comment love below as well as pin and share to delight others’ tastebuds.

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While you’re at it, here are more recipes like this hearty chicken stew: