Freezer Friendly Italian Chicken Stew

on

 


I started routinely making this stew a few years ago because my niece needed protein and this was one of the few protein dishes she would eat. I think it's because the spices are pretty mild, yet flavorful with the traditional mirepoix of carrots, onions and celery.

Plus the chicken after stewing for an hour is fall off the bone tender. (She only had a few baby teeth at that point!)

At home, I have fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano. Here at my in-law's place, I don't have these fresh herbs, but the dish came out just as delicious with dried rosemary, oregano and basil. Bonus? There's hardly any hands on time--just toss ingredients in with the browned chicken and let the simmering do the work. Make sure you use bone-in chicken thighs because that adds so much more flavor to the resulting sauce.




This recipe makes a lot, but you can freeze half for enjoyment at a later date! Here I made 3 freezer meals out of the leftovers by placing the chicken stew over a bed of garlic penne pasta, and a side of blanched green beans (organic homegrown green beans are from a generous green thumb friend!). For other freezer friendly meals, see: Chicken enchiladas, Ginger scallion chicken, Japanese beef curry, Homestyle Char Sui, and Freezer friendly Eggplant with Pork and Basil.


Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 5 lbs chicken thighs trimmed (about 12 thighs)
  • 2 ½ t salt, divided
  • ½ t pepper
  • 2 t garlic powder, divided
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 c chicken broth
  • 1 can 16 oz whole tomatoes
  • 1 t dried rosemary
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1 t dried basil
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1 T dried chopped onion
  • 1 c flour for coating chicken

Procedures:

  1.  In a ziplock bag, marinate chicken thighs with 1 ½ t salt, ½ t pepper, and 1 t garlic powder for at least 4 hours in the fridge; overnight is best.
  2. Place 1 c of all purpose flour on a plate and lightly coat the marinated chicken thighs in flour.
  3. Place chicken skin side down on a heated pan. Brown chicken on both sides. You may need to do this in 2 batches depending on your pan size.
  4. When all the chicken are browned, add in all the diced vegetables and spices (rosemary, oregano, basil, sugar, onions, remaining 1 t salt, and 1 t garlic powder) to the chicken in the pan.
  5. Pour in chicken broth and a can of whole tomatoes.
  6. Stir everything to mix, and bring to a boil and then lower heat to a medium simmer
  7. Simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom
  8. Remove chicken to a serving platter, and cook sauce on high, stirring until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with plain pasta, rice or crusty bread.