Cold weather brings cravings for warm and cozy comfort food such as a big pot of thick hearty stew. It’s even better when served with thick slices of homemade cornbread or warm crusty sourdough bread on the side. These one-pot wonders are a full meal – filled with healthy servings of meats, seafood, and vegetables.
How do these sound: Guinness beef stew, Southwestern pork stew or Spiced seafood stew? I’m feeling warm already! We’ve got these recipes and more. Serve your friends and family warmth in a bowl with these hearty stew recipes.
Guinness Beef Stew
"A hearty stew warms the heart. This stew warms all the heart and all the parts around it. Guinness Beer gives the sauce an incredible rich, deep flavour, and the beef is fall-apart tender."
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef chuck or stew meat
2 small yellow onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 can Guinness beer
2 tablespoons Rufus Teague Meat Rub
2 tablespoons all purpose flour (to thicken)
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
Cube the beef and season with Rufus Teague Meat Rub.
Heat the pot or Dutch oven to high heat and pour in the olive oil. When the oil is hot, brown the meat. Remove from the pot and set aside. Lower the heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook them down for a few minutes and then add the chopped pancetta. Cook the pancetta until browned.
Pour in the Guinness. Then add flour and stir. Add in carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste and chicken stock. Add the meat back in. Stir.
Cover and let simmer for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and falling apart. Remove the lid and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
Stir, adding salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and serve in a bowl over mashed potatoes.
Tuscan Chicken Stew
"This easy-to-create comfort food of chicken stew has Italian inspirations including basil, fennel and minced garlic."
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch thick wedges
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Fennel Seed
1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes undrained
1/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon McCormick® Basil Leaves
1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Minced
1 teaspoon McCormick® Rosemary Leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Oregano Leaves
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper,
Coarse Ground
1 6-ounce package baby spinach leaves
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 10 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet. Add onion and fennel seed; cook and stir on medium heat 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in beans, tomatoes, red wine, basil, minced garlic, rosemary, salt, oregano and pepper. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 3 minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Stir in spinach. Cover. Cook 5 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
Southwestern Pork Stew
"This stew is a great item to make ahead and reheat at the tailgate lot."
1 3/4 pounds pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons canola cooking oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large red onion chopped (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 16-ounce package frozen whole corn kernels thawed
1 10-ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chili peppers
2 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
2–4 tablespoons cornmeal
In a medium bowl mix 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1teaspoon cumin with flour, salt and pepper. Toss pork in flour and spice mixture until coated, shaking off excess.
Coat a large pot with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and place over medium heat. Add pork and cook, in batches, 5 to 7 minutes or until browned on all sides and no longer pink. Remove meat to a plate.
Heat the remaining oil. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, broth, chili powder and cumin.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30–45 minutes or until potatoes and pork are tender. In the last 10 minutes add enough cornmeal to thicken the sauce. Add corn and black beans and heat through, about 10 minutes.
Serve with tortillas if desired, and garnish with chopped cilantro and fresh limes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Slow Cookers Red Wine and Mushroom Beef Stew
"McCormick's Slow Cookers Hearty Beef Stew Seasoning plus a few ingredients delivers a rich-tasting beef stew that's sure to satisfy your hungry guests!"
2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 8-ounce package mushrooms sliced
1 medium onion cut into wedges
1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers Hearty Beef Stew Seasoning Mix
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
Place beef, mushrooms and onion in slow cooker. Mix seasoning mix, wine, and water until blended. Pour over beef and vegetables; toss to coat well. Cover. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Stir before serving.
Slow Cooker Tip: For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.
Spiced Seafood Stew
"Fragrant and nutty, cumin flavors this Moroccan-inspired stew that features the seafood trio of shrimp, scallops and mussels."
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Cumin, Ground
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Cinnamon, Ground Saigon
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Cayenne Pepper
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup Kitchen Basics® Original Seafood Stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Saffron, Spanish , crushed
8 ounces scallops
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces mussels, rinsed
Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Add cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper; cook and stir 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes, stock, salt and saffron. Bring to boil. Add shrimp, scallops and mussels. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until mussel shells open. Discard any mussels that do not open. Serve with cooked couscous, if desired.
Chicken-and-brisket Brunswick Stew
"Brunswick stew is a classic Southern recipe. This version gives you a double-dose of protein with shredded chicken and smoky barbecued beef brisket."
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons jarred beef soup base
2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 12-ounce package frozen white shoepeg or whole kernel corn
1 10-ounce package frozen cream-style corn, thawed
1 9-ounce package frozen baby lima beans
1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 pound chopped barbecued beef brisket (without sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Hot sauce (optional)
Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil in a 7.5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir together beef soup base and 2 cups water and add to Dutch oven. Stir in chicken and next 9 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 hours.
Uncover and shred chicken into large pieces using two forks. Stir in brisket and lemon juice. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.