Soup, Chili & Stew Blog Hop

Brrr it's chilly out there these days.  We have transitioned from fall into winter around these parts.  When the days get shorter and colder, we naturally just want to hibernate more and eat comfort food.  In order to avoid bringing on unhealthy comfort food, chips, Nutella and left over Halloween candy, I try to cook heartier options such as chili, stews and a variety of soups.  I don't consider my repertoire of comfort food cooking plentiful so when Leslie from Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After suggested a stew, soup and chili recipe exchange, I was all over it.  If you are coming from Michelle's at Out and Back, welcome, and be sure to check out Bri from What's Brewing with Bri next, along with all the other ladies linked up below.  

I've been wanting to use my slow cooker more this year to make meal prep more manageable during busy weeks, which is like every week, so I opened up my Company Comings Slow Cooker recipe book and just picked something to try.  I decided to start with this Country Chicken Stew.  It's packed full of veggies including onion, carrots, cabbage, celery and potatoes.  It calls for chicken thighs but all I had was frozen chicken breasts on hand so that's what I threw in.  

This was a HIT with the whole family, every single person loved it and there were no offers of suggestions of how I might make it better.  It's the perfect intersection between a broth and cream soup.  I paired it up with a french bread and it was a full meal, for two night in a row.
This recipe is a keeper for our family and will be going into our regular rotation and probably more frequently through the winter months as it's the perfect soup to send for lunch in a thermos for school.

Recipe from Company's Coming Slow Cooker Dinners 

1 Cup chopped onion
2 Cups chopped potato
2 Cups sliced carrots (I just used baby carrots)
2 Cups shredded cabbage (I used left over coleslaw)
1/2 C celery (I threw in way more)
3 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I did 4 large chicken breasts)
2 Cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth on hand)
10 oz cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken instead)
1 tsp/ dried thyme
1. 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
2 Bay leaves

1/4 C Chicken broth
1/4 C Cornstarch
1 C    Frozen Peas

1. Layer the first 6 ingredients into the slow cooker. 
2. Combine the next 5 ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over chicken (do not mix).  Add your bay leaves and book on low for 9 to 10 hours or on high to 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  After cooking discard bay leaves.
3. Mix the second amount of corn start into the chicken broth and then pour into the slow cooker.  Add peas.  Stir it all together.  Cook on high for 15 minutes or until peas are heated through and the sauce is thickened.  

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the vegetables (except potato) and prepare broth mixture.  Chill overnight and assemble and cook the next day.

Enjoy!  And remember to hop on over to What's Brewing with Bri next or visit any of the linked up blogs below.

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