Winter Rotation: Brunswick Stew with Smoky Paprika

Given my penchant for trying new recipes, we don’t really have much of a regular rotation of dinner plans. That said, there are some recipes that make regular appearances during certain seasons, including this Cooking Light recipe for Brunswick Stew with Smoky Paprika. It has been a favorite fall and winter dinner for a couple of years now. My version is tweaked a little.

Brunswick Stew with Smoky Paprika

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed Yukon gold potato
• 2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• 3 cups shredded smoked chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet Spanish smoked paprika
• 21/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it renders some fat, then add the onions and cook until soft. 
2. Add the potato, corn, lima beans, tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the chicken, paprika, salt, and pepper; simmer 15 minutes. 
5. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Total time: 60 minutes

The biggest, and most important, difference between our version and Cooking Light’s is that we use smoked chicken. When whole chickens are on sale, weather permitting, we buy several and throw them on the smoker, then debone and freeze the meat. With that in the freezer, we typically have all the ingredients on hand. Cornbread muffins go well with the stew. Tonight we also had a green salad tossed with more of my favorite buttermilk dressing. A great dinner for yet another snowy night in the mountains.