Back when I was still writing a column for the Savannah Morning News, I planned one on hearty winter soups made in a slow cooker and asked friends to share their favorites. Cherie Bailey offered this hearty, warming stew from her friend Amanda Hoven Havelin—who with good taste like this, quickly became a friend of mine.
It has been a winter comfort staple in our house ever since.
Below are two versions, the recipe as it was given to me (for 6 servings), and the way I make it now. The original required a 6-quart slow-cooker and mine is just 3½ quarts, so everything had to be cut roughly in half. Except that I forgot to cut the broth when I tested it, and we loved the extra liquid, so my version still gets the full 2 cups.
There are also a couple of changes that resulted from substitutes for an ingredient I didn't have on hand.
Amanda Havelin's Chicken Stew with Tomatoes (Original Recipe)
This is Amanda's sensational stew as it was originally shared by Cherie, who "knows me well enough to know I need simple, easy to follow directions" and recommended serving it with cornbread and a nice chardonnay. This was my introduction to fire-roasted tomatoes and they were a game-changer.
You'll need a 6 quart slow-cooker for this recipe.
Serves 6
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 8-10 ounces each
Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
Italian seasoning
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large (28-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
6 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
6 small russet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into large pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Set the slow cooker on high. Add the chicken and remaining solid ingredients in the order listed, placing the carrots around the outer edge and piling the potatoes on top. Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours. When done, gently stir, breaking up the chicken into bite-sized chunks and shreds and mixing it into the vegetables without breaking them.
Amanda's Chicken Stew with Tomatoes (My Version)
The first time I made this, everything was cut roughly in half, but I found that cutting it by a third would still fit in my 3½-quart cooker and it gave us four generous servings. Leftover stew is always a good thing to have on hand.
The first time I made this, I didn't have an Italian Seasoning herb blend in the house, but I did have herbes de Provence, so knowing that it wouldn't make any difference in the way the stew looked for the article's photographs, I used a combination of that and oregano. Aside from that and the accidental extra liquid, over time a drizzle of olive oil found its way into the bottom of the pot before putting in the chicken and I discovered that cutting the chicken breasts lengthwise into several pieces made it break up a little more evenly.
If using the combination of Herbes de Provence and oregano, I mix them about 2-to-1, but don't really measure it with a spoon. Suit your own taste.
Serves 4
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 10-12 ounces each
Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
Italian Seasoning herb blend or Herbes de Provence and dried oregano
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 small or 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into large pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1. Set a 3½ quart slow cooker on high. Drizzle the bottom of it with olive oil. Cut the chicken breasts across the grain into 3 pieces each. Add them to the pot and toss to lightly coat with the oil. Season generously with salt, pepper, and herb blend, and gently toss to evenly distribute the seasonings. Scatter the onion and garlic over it, and then add the tomatoes. Put the carrots in around the outer edge and pile the potatoes in the middle. Season with salt, pepper, and a little more of the herb blend. Pour in the broth around the edges.
2. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on high for one hour, then low for 6 hours. When done, gently stir up from the bottom, breaking up the chicken into bite-sized chunks and shreds and mixing it into the vegetables without breaking them up. Serve with crusty bread.