With a few simple ingredients and some leftover chicken, you can easily have a meal ready in 30 minutes!!
I roasted a delicious chicken in the oven yesterday with mashed potatoes and cooked veggies but I always look to revamp leftovers!! Honestly, I am just not a fan of leftovers, so I like turning it into something new! Chicken is so versatile and leftover chicken is very easy to turn into a fresh new meal! It can be turned into a waldorf chicken salad, chicken caesar salad, fajitas or tacos, soup and even stew! We decided a hearty stew would be perfect for the chilly snowy day we were experiencing!
Let’s get started!
In a stock pot, add chopped onion, diced carrot and celery with a splash of water and olive oil or butter. I add a splash of water if pot goes dry and continue cooking until onion is transparent or is tender and easily cuts with a spoon.
Once onion is cooked, about 10 minutes, add chopped cooked chicken, corn and peas. I added leftover mashed potatoes – you can add any leftover vegetables you may have! You can also add chopped raw potato, sweet potato, parsnips, leek, mushrooms, or any other of your favourite vegetables – leftover, fresh or frozen!!
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic powder and dill (dried or fresh is great).
Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add chicken stock or broth or 1 packet of chicken or turkey gravy with water. I used turkey gravy just because I wanted to use it up. My family’s goal is to use less pre-manufactured goods from the grocery store.
Once you add the gravy mix, add just enough water to cover the chicken and veggies. The same goes for if you’re using chicken stock or broth – just enough to cover the chicken and veggies. At this point, though, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of flour and cook for 5 minutes before adding the stock or broth. If you are not using flour, you may need to thicken the stew with potato starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder mixed into water. I usually add 2 tbsp to 1/3 cup water and stir until smooth. Then pour into stew (or this is how I thicken homemade gravy) and stir while pouring.
Cook for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve with fresh bread or biscuits. Check out my mom’s old fashioned tea biscuit recipe here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/moms-tea-biscuits/
This stew is a family favourite and can be easily made with cooked chicken or roast beef. If using beef, be sure to use beef broth or stock or even beef gravy mix. Either way, this will be one of your family favorites too! And no one will notice that it’s made with leftovers!
Easy Chicken Stew
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
leftover mashed potatoes, about 1 cup, but any amount will do
leftover chicken, chopped, about 2 cups but any amount will do
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill
sprinkle garlic powder
1 packet turkey or chicken gravy
4 to 6 cups water
Sauté onion, celery and carrot together for 8 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add veggies, cooked chicken and seasonings. Sauté 5 minutes. Add gravy mix (or flour if using). Sauté. Add water and stir well. Add more water if needed to cover meat and vegetables. Cover, cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.
