Brunswick Stew

This is great for those cold days!

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients:

1 3 lb. chicken
2 stalks celery
1 small onion
7 cups water
2 10 oz. packages baby lima beans
2 10 oz. packages corn
1 cup chopped onion
40 oz. fresh or canned, chopped or pureed tomatoes (we use canned crushed tomatoes)
3 medium peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp. red pepper
10 finely crushed saltine crackers

Combine in a large stock pot chicken, celery, onion and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken and set aside broth. Discard celery and onion. Cool, skin, de bone and coarsely chop chicken. Add chicken, remaining 2 cups water, lima beans, corn, chopped onion, tomatoes, potatoes, sugar, butter, salt, black pepper and red pepper to broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer about 4 ½ hours. Stir often and add water if needed. Stew should be thick. Add cracker crumbs, stir well and cook an additional 15 minutes. Makes about 7-1/2 quarts.