Chicken Vegetable Stew

I had potatoes and carrots to use, so this recipe from the Pillsbury Harvest Time Cookbook looked like just the ticket.  I hadn’t purchased a whole chicken in a while, so I ventured to our Fareway store meat counter.  The chickens were huge!  My whole chicken was 4 1/4 pounds!  I cut it up and used the breast and thighs for this recipe.  I poached the remainder of the chicken; used the meat and broth for a pot pie and soup.   Of course, you can purchase cut-up chicken parts for this recipe just as well.

What I liked about this dish was the good flavor and fairly relaxed one-pot preparation.  After browning the chicken and onions and letting them start to simmer, I had ample time to cut up the remaining vegetables.  It makes thin gravy, so serve it in bowls.  Use the sherry if you can, it makes it delicious.              

                          Chicken Vegetable Stew

  2 ½    Pounds  Chicken -- fryer

  2        Tablespoons  Oil

  1 ½    Teaspoons  Salt

     ½    Teaspoon  Poultry Seasoning

     ¼    Teaspoon  Pepper

  1        Medium  Onion -- sliced

  2        Each  Chicken Bouillon Cubes

  3        Cups  Hot Water

  4        Medium  Potatoes -- quartered

  4        Medium  Carrots -- sliced

  4        Ounces  Canned Mushrooms

     ¼     Cup  Sherry -- or cold water

  2        Tablespoons  Flour, All-purpose

In Dutch oven, brown chicken in hot oil.  Stir in salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, onion, bouillon cubes and hot water.

Cover and simmer 20 minutes (I only simmered 15 minutes).  Add potatoes, carrots and mushrooms; simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender (I only cooked an additional 20 minutes).  Remove chicken and vegetables to serving dish (or divide among individual bowls).

Combine sherry and flour; blend until smooth, gradually add to broth.  Cook and stir until mixture thickens and boils.  Pour over chicken and vegetables.

2011 Cost: $ 3.95 or 99¢ per serving