Chicken Stew…the ultimate comfort food!

As a little girl, I watched my Grandmother, “Mama Bea”, and her two sisters Great Aunt Doe and Great Aunt Mamie work all day to prepare this chicken stew.  They would cook 3 whole chickens and de-bone them…shuck corn and cut it off of the cob, cube 10 -12 potatoes, cut up fresh tomatoes & onions and put it all together to simmer into a delicious stew.  I found that I needed a quicker version, but I still wanted it to be thick and creamy and delicious too!  Here is my modern version…and I must say it tastes just right!

This stew needs to cook in a stock pot… it makes a lot! 

** It freezes well if you use fresh chicken.

Ingredients:

3 Boxes of unsalted chicken broth

40 oz. bag of chicken 

tenders

4 onions (two to cook with chicken- they cook down to almost nothing/

two to large dice for bits in the stew)

1 Tbsp. Nature’s Seasons (add more to your taste)

10-12 med potatoes ( I use red unpeeled)

2- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with onion celery and green pepper

2-3 cans yellow corn (drained)

Idaho potato flakes (to thicken stew)

Directions:

• Start with 2 boxes of unsalted chicken broth 

• Add Chicken and onions-I use frozen Tyson chicken tenders 40 oz. (2.5 lb.) bag

• Put all of the frozen tenders into liquid with 2 large onions cut in quarters

• At this point, add water or more chicken broth to cover the chicken & onions

• Add 1 Tbsp. Nature’s Seasons

• Cook on med heat until chicken is tender…remove from liquid (keep all liquid) and tear or cut into bite sized pieces…Put chicken back onto liquid.

• 10-12 med potatoes…cubed with skin on…rinse and add to pot.

• 2 more med onions quartered and sliced, med slices

• Cook until potatoes are soft

• Add 2 -14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with liquid…I use Hunt’s with onion, celery, and green pepper in it.

• Add two or three cans of yellow corn-Drain and add to your taste

• Simmer together for 30 more minutes

• To thicken to a creamy texture of stew…add potato flakes (Idaho) a LITTLE at a time…maybe by ¼ cup each time and stir…allow it to completely absorb before you add more.

 Great with cornbread or even saltine crackers!

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