Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

I had some sweet potatoes in the pantry that I intended to use for sweet potato fries, but time was running out on their life so I had to go with Plan B.  I found this recipe for a slow cooker stew and decided to try it instead.

The recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices
1 can (28 ounces) whole stewed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery seeds (I didn't have this on hand so skipped it)
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped (I used dried, all I had)

1. Combine the chicken, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, salt, paprika, celery seeds, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and broth in the 4 1⁄2-quart CROCK-POT® slow cooker.



Not a good picture, but I remembered to take a picture!
This is before it started cooking.

2. Cover; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

The Verdict:

First, I have to say, the flavor of this stew is AMAZING!  The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with the spice of pepper and paprika provided a warm, wonderful flavor.  I ate two bowls, and had another the next day for lunch.  My daughter, surprisingly, ate the chicken out of my bowl.  I wasn't sure if she would like the flavor, but she said it was really good.  She doesn't like tomatoes so she wouldn't taste those, but I did get her to eat the sweet potatoes.  My son and husband were not home so I didn't get their opinion, but my mom happened to stop by and gave it a taste and really liked it too.

I made a smaller batch this first time, but I think this would be a great soup to make in the fall/winter to add to the freezer in smaller portions for lunches.  I will definitely make it again!