Not sure if it was missing my Dad over the 13th anniversary of his death over the weekend, or the dip in temperatures, but I had the urge to make my Dad’s Chicken Brunswick Stew.
My parents are both from Virginia, and there was a canned version of brunswick stew that my Dad loved – it came in a yellow can, and once they moved to the Chicagoland area, it was nowhere to be found.
Thankfully, in 1997 my Aunt Martha put together a family cookbook, the year before my Dad died. He wrote down his recipe and prefaced it with this:
This is an adaptation of Mrs. Fearnow’s Chicken Brunswick Stew. It took me years and countless pots of stew until I got it just right. But it was worth it!
Just the smell of this soup brings back memories of my Dad in the kitchen. 😀 I did make a few adaptations, because I do use boneless chicken breasts and I don’t add the lima beans – ew.
Chicken Brunswick Stew
This is a childhood favorite. My Dad made this recipe after many trials and errors and it continues to be a family favorite. The original recipe calls for lima beans, I am not the biggest fan, but feel free to add them if you like.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 28 ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups white shoepeg corn
- 5 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- (i also add a teaspoon of Tabasco)
- also add onions if you like!
Instructions
- Add everything to a large stock pot. I leave the chicken breasts whole to poach in the broth. After an hour, you'll be able to shred the chicken right in the pot.
- The flavors get better the longer it sits.
Notes
Two cups serving is 4 WW points. Click here for the WW tracker link.
This is pure comfort in a bowl – can’t wait to have it for my lunch later this week.
So who loves The Sandwich King on Food Network? So far I’ve liked everything he’s made (except the cod sliders -ew!). I had this on the menu last week, but Tony wasn’t feeling good so it got bumped to this week.
Chicago Italian Beef and Homemade Giardiniera. How did I not think to make my own giardiniera?? It was so simple – while it takes 2 days to make (and the flavors only get better the longer it sits), hands on time is only about 10 minutes tops.
The directions said to rinse the veggies after the overnight brine – I didn’t rinse mine enough, so while good, mine was on the salty side – and I only used 4 serano peppers, I could have easily doubled it for more of a kick. 😀 We loved how tender the meat was – my mouth is watering again as I type this. 😀
We will definitely make this again!
On I just wanted to let you guys know that I entered a recipe contest with this sandwich below – a chicken pesto meatball sub with a roasted red pepper and olive sauce. Holy shizz is this delicious! Tony wouldn’t try it, finally my neighbors got home and I shared it – his response was it was a winner! First prize is $25k, so on September 24 when I get the call that I won, I’ll be doing the best giveaway post over (or posting the recipe on the off chance I didn’t win!) 😀 It’s literally done in 30 minutes too!
I am off to do my 100 sit ups and 50 push ups – make it a great day! It’s 7:15 in the morning and 49 degrees – yikes!
Awesome! I always loved this stuff as a kid! I used to get it at the State Fair with my cousin.
What did you change about the lima beans and the chicken? I actually like bean so I’d like to try it both ways 🙂 Thanks for posting this!
just wanna put my 2 cents in on the “sketchy dude” in the skrewdriver shirt…. i took the time to talk to him, beuasce he’s been showin’ up in my photos for years… yes, that sketchy dude ain’t so fucked as some of you might think… just beuasce he was wearing a fucking shirt ??? guess freddy “madball” is a sketchy dude too… and what’s this shit about “hate squad dancing” ???? i’ve been with vision since day one of their over 20 yrs. of good shows, and almost all of those people at the court that night were old friends who stuck with them all those yrs. too….and for you pete… billie( that’s his name) has been to many, many vision shows ( goin’ back to scott hall) and has supported vision thru the years…. so maybe some of you out there oughtta free up your minds once in a while, and instead of always takin’ the “hard “stance , find out what people are about before you go off half cocked….one last thing about billy, he had a great time at that show, danced his ass off( old school style) and stepped up plenty of times ( for vision and KT)that night to sing along…. oh yeah….for anyone who signs off as anonymous…wanna be taken seriously ??? sign your name…just sayin……vision…court tavern….11/6….birthday bash !!!! be there….see what shirt billy wears…hahahahaha
I made the Chicken Brunswick last night and it was hit with my family. Thank you.
Great! My dad would be happy!
I made this and loved it! Pinned it on my new obsession – Pinterest!
I also live in Chicago and love to read your blog – so many easy down to earth recipes! Thank you! Please keep blogging!
Thanks so much! Yep, every time I make my Dad’s stew it brings such happy memories. 😀 Glad you liked it!
wow! It’s still almost 90 degrees here! Brunswick Stew is one of my Dad’s favorite things too (with lima beans, aka “butter beans” down South! and YUCK, I don’t care what you call ’em!) I’ve never attempted to make it, so maybe i’ll give it a try for him. Thanks for sharing the recipe and special memory of your Dad.
Good luck with the recipe contest!
Homemade giardineria sounds amazing! Must make!
The chicken stew sounds delish – how cute is your Dad doing his best to master his favorite stew! I’m going to make this in memory of him. I’m sure the amount of love you put into it for his memory made it even more delicious!
Awww….I bet your Dad was smiling down on you this weekend. So nice that the stew is tied to your wonderful memories. Have a great week Vat!!!
The Giardenia looks great!
I want that chicken meatball sub recipe now!!!
I feel so behind on the Sandwich King show. I need to record some episodes and watch them.
Hope you win that contest! It sounds delicious, Tony wouldn’t try it? Too spicy?
The man doesn’t like balls in his mouth – under any circumstances. 😀 Seriously, my Italian husband doesn’t like meatballs – but my neighbor enjoyed the sandwich! 😀
All your food looks amazing (again)! I hope you win.
Thanks Lisa! 😀
When I was picking recipes out this week, I bookmarked Brunswick stew! I also ewwww the lima beans. Blech.
what a sweet way to remember loved ones. the stew looks amazing, i’ve never had brunswick stew before.
the fish i actually ended up using was tilapia, and it’s really not fishy at all. i think that combined with the cabbage and crema and you might really enjoy it. just as long as i get credit for getting you to eat fish 🙂
Ok, now you’re just showing off with the cooler temps! LOL We’re still in the 80s! UGH! It was brutal walking this morning- temp at 85 and humidity at 100%!
Can’t wait to try the stew!
I hope you win that sandwich contest!
And isn’t it interesting what food we connect with certain people? Very nice that your dad was able to create his own version of Brunswick stew (I see where you get your cooking prowess from!) and that you were able to make it for that connection.
I love all the “ew”s throughout this post! Made me giggle!
Ohio is freezing right now, I have all the ingredients for this… Helllllooo dinner tonight! 😀
First, happy 3rd blogiversary! That’s awesome!! The stew sounds so good on this chilly rainy morning.
I’d never had Brunswick Stew before. I can’t wait to make a batch come fall! What a lovely memory of your dad. 🙂
Those sandwiches look amazing!!! And I’ve never thought to make my own giardiniera. Pickles, yes, but giandiniera no!
Hope you have a good Tuesday!
What a great memory of your dad.
And the sandwich king is great – we were all pulling for Jeff to win!
Delicious looking eats as usual, my friend 🙂
Just got back from my MT class and decided to make Chicken Tortilla Soup! It’s cool and rainy – perfect weather for it. Then I come back to blogland and here you are with your Brunswick Stew.
First time I ever heard of Brunswick Stew was when we took Little Helen to college in North Carolina. When I asked the waitress what was in it, she said, “Oh, some armadilla, roadkill, and chicken along with veggies.” She got the biggest kick out of the dumbfounded look on my face. But I never could bring myself to try it after that.
Actually, I think they used to make it with squirrel meat – ew!
Oh meatball sandwiches, that’s one thing I miss since giving up meat!! I haven’t found a suitable meatball replacement. We’ve been doing a lot of soups/warm foods lately, it’s dropping down into the 70s/80s during the day (our coolest temps since May!) and into the 40s/50s at night, so it’s definitely the warm food time of year!
That meatball sub looks super yummy, hope you win 🙂 The soup looks good too 🙂
Till this day, you are the one person that really makes me crave meat! lol
I hope you had a good workup and warmed up =)
This brunswick stew is a legend as far as I’m concerned, love it! Oh and by the way, the lady I work with is married to the great-grandson of the man who started making this stew – small world eh? 😉 I didn’t put two and two together (the lady’s name is Lisa Fearnow, duhhh Steph haha!) until I posted about this stuff one day and she approached me at work, telling me that was her husband’s family. Check out the comment that George left me on my site in regards to the infamous Brunswick Stew, pretty cool! 🙂
“We sold the business in 1999, and I retired after 30 years of making Brunswick Stew. My Grandmother, my mother & father, and my aunt & uncle made the stew from about 1929. Comment on history. Brunswick stew origin lies with the spices used. Williamsburg was most likely the start of Brunswick Stew but Brunswick County, VA and Brunswick, Georgia will protest that.
Recipe suggestions: 1.) Use white shoe-peg corn 2.) Use a whole chicken to get the best broth. 3.) Save the lesser fatty pieces of skin to be minced and added back in. 4.) Use salt & sugar in equal amounts but maybe less if you use sea salt. 5.) Use red pepper & black pepper. 6.) Use whole tomatoes but crush and dice in a 50/50 mix. 7.) Use russet potatoes (thickness increases directly by stirring). 8.)Onions & carrots should minced. 9.) Okra can be used but it can be bitter sometimes. 9.) Oregano & poultry seasoning were never in Brunswick Stew of colonial times. 10.) Yes – The original recipe calls for squirrel or wild game.”
Wow – Thanks for the history lesson Stephanie! Yep, my Dad used a whole chicken and cooked it until they meat fell off the bone, then took all the skin off and went from there. I did know that some parts prefer okra to lima beans, they both stink in my book so you will never see them in my stew! 😀
No problem! I thought it was interesting hearing his point of view on it all too! Your Poppy’s version looks fabulous…reminds me that I need to try making this again veryyyy soon once the temps stay cooler down here, yummmmmmm 🙂
I want stew now!! A great way to celebrate your dads life. I hope you win the contest!! I need the recipe 🙂
Back on sale at Martins. I got 12 cans yesterday March 24th 2013
Yummers, that stew looks delicious and I loved the story about your dad! It’s still hot summer weather here but I hope to soon be making cooler weather foods too.
Best wishes on the recipe contest. That sandwich looks like a winner!
Wow, that sounds and looks delicious! Thanks for sharing part of your dad with us. 🙂