Freezer-Batch Smoky Chicken Brunswick Stew

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A big pot of thick, tangy Southern-style Brunswick stew built for the freezer: shredded chicken thighs, sweet corn and butter beans in a smoky tomato-barbecue broth. There's no dairy, flour or pasta in it, so it thaws and reheats exactly as it went in — no splitting, no watery puddle. One hour on a Sunday buys you four weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups frozen baby lima beans (butter beans)
• kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 6 to 7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the smoked paprika and cook 30 seconds more.
2. Season the chicken thighs all over with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper and nestle them into the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
4. Lift the chicken onto a board and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot along with the frozen corn and lima beans.
5. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beans are tender and the stew has thickened enough that a spoon leaves a brief trail. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and vinegar.
6. Cool the stew quickly: set the pot in a sink of cold water for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer steaming. Divide into freezer bags or airtight containers in family-size or single portions, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Press bags flat, label with the date, and freeze up to 3 months.
7. TO REHEAT: thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until bubbling at the center (165°F). From frozen, tip the block into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons water, cover and heat on low for 20 to 25 minutes, breaking it up as it loosens. Single portions microwave from thawed in 3 to 4 minutes, stirring halfway.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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