apple chicken stew

yesterday, my dear dedicated husband drove for hours in the slush and the rain to bring home a new (to us) stove.  i wanted to have something yummy and warm ready for him when he got home, so out came the slow cooker.  i came across this recipe in an old cooking magazine from a thrift shop, and it's a gem!  it would make an ideal fall meal, or, the perfect dinner for a rainy day in january and a cold and tired husband.  :)

the only thing i wasn't crazy for in this recipe was the amount of chicken it took, and how much that chicken cost!  i might try this again with turkey leftovers from a holiday, or maybe just with cheaper cuts of chicken, like boneless thighs.  although the chicken breasts sure do taste delicious in there, and just fall apart by the time the stew is done... soooo yummy.


Apple Chicken Stew - Taste of Home's Quick Cooking Magazine, Nov/Dec 2001, pg. 37
prep time: 30 mins  cook time: 4-5 hours
serves 4-6

4 medium potatoes, cubed
4 medium carrots, thickly sliced
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced
1 celery rib, sliced - i used 2
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 lbs (about 900g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large tart apple, peeled and cubed - i used a big granny smith and didn't peel it
1 1/4 cups apple cider or apple juice - i used juice but i bet cider would be delicious
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
minced fresh parsley

in a slow cooker, layer potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.  mix salt, thyme, pepper, and caraway seeds together and sprinkle half over the vegetables (i didn't find they "mixed" well - the salt all sat at the bottom and the spices on top.  so next time i'd just sprinkle half of each over the veggies without mixing).

in a skillet, saute chicken in olive oil until just browned.  transfer to slow cooker.  top with chopped apple.

combine apple cider/juice and vinegar and pour over chicken and apple.  sprinkle with remaining spice mixture and top with bay leaf.

cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear.  discard bay leave, give a good stir, and serve with fresh parsley.


faaaaantastic.  this is going to be a new favourite in our house for sure.  it thickened up more than i was expecting.  i couldn't really taste the apple but the caraway seeds really added a nice flavour.  i cooked up a bunch of rice to serve with it because there was a chance of visitors for dinner and i hoped it would stretch it out farther, which it certainly did.  we'll be enjoying leftovers tonight!