Chicken Stew with Kale and Cannellini Beans

This is officially the first recipe we used our brand-spanking new Dutch oven for! The fact we even have one is kind of a fluke. I had been noticing that we had been coming across lots of recipes that call for a Dutch oven and we had used our largest pot for. I'd been thinking to myself, "man, wouldn't it be nice to have a Dutch oven? It sounds so cool..." when BAM, I get an e-mail from World Market that Dutch ovens are 50% off. 50% off. That suddenly made a Dutch oven more affordable. Granted, it's not a Le Creuset like we eventually desire, but it's still a nice, cast iron, big Dutch oven. So this e-mail from World Market came on the Monday a week before Christmas and I thought to myself, "I should get this for Will for Christmas." Even though I had already reached our agreed-upon Christmas budget for his gifts, this opportunity seemed to good to pass up. Not wanting to buy it on impulse, I looked at the Dutch ovens that morning, checking out colors, sizes, prices, and everything important online. I figured I'd think about it that day and eventually got carried away in work. Later in the day, I remembered having seen the Dutch oven deal and went back to their website to check on them-everything was sold out. I quickly determined my top three that I would want and got on the phone with the local World Market store and got lucky enough to secure my first choice. After work and lessons that day, I swung by there and picked up the last one in the color and size I wanted-I was thrilled!  And though I technically gave it to Will for Christmas, it was really a gift for both of us to use and enjoy :)

Well of course once you get a new kitchen toy, you have to use it ASAP, right? Well Will got right on that and looked up some Dutch oven recipes on The Kitchn and found a slew of things we could try. We already had kale and cannellini beans on hand, so Will figured this would be a good one to start with. Plus, now it's gotten Florida-cold (so really, like fall for most other places in the U.S.) so it seemed like an opportune time to make something warming and filling. This recipe fulfilled both of those requirements, not only offering a solid flavor profile full of fresh herb tastes, but it warmed you from the inside-out. I encourage anyone out there who has a Dutch oven (or something similar) to give this recipe a shot-if nothing else, it certainly can feed you for several days, and it's the kind of recipe that you don't mind eating 2-3 nights in a row! Our only suggestion for this is that you don't really need the cannellini beans because the potatoes really fill out meal, making it a stew instead of a soup (what is the difference between those two things anyways?).

Cooking Notes: We only ended up using two chicken breasts, instead of the three the recipe originally calls for. We also used a basket of small mixed potatoes as opposed to the medium sized potatoes the recipe called for. We added fresh rosemary in addition to the fresh thyme because those flavors always compliment each other so beautifully. We also used one gigantic carrot from the farmer's market instead of two medium carrots. And lastly, we used Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan.

Chicken Stew with Kale and Cannellini Beans (adapted from The Kitchn; serves 6)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 basket of small mixed potatoes (suggested potatoes: Yukon gold, red and purple)
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 (more) tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 gigantic carrot, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese
1 large bunch chopped kale
15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil and season with S&P. On a separate sheet pan, toss the potatoes with olive oil, thyme, S&P. Roast for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Allow the chicken to cool, then shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat, adding the onion and shallot. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook about 15 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, chicken, potatoes, cheese, S&) and bring to a simmer. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the kale is tender. Once ready, allow to cool for a few minutes before enjoying!

Recipe: The Kitchn: Chicken Stew with Kale and Cannellini Beans