This month’s Eat Like a Local recipe comes all the way from Richmond, Virginia in the form of Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew from Jenn and Bryan Herbert of The Wanderlust Couple travel blog.
The origins of this cherished southern US dish are actually the topic of much debate. While Virginians believe the dish originates from their very own Brunswick County, others are adamant the first ever Brunswick Stew was cooked in Brunswick County, Georgia.
No matter where you believe this dish originated, you can’t deny the place Brunswick Stew holds in the history of traditional American ‘Deep South’ cuisine.
Read on to discover more about Jenn and Brian’s authentic Virginian recipe for Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew.
Still yet to invest in a slow-cooker? Shop for quality slow-cookers here.
Jenn and Brian Herbert
Tell us a bit about yourself.
“We’re Jenn and Brian and we’re from Richmond, Virginia (VA). We’ve been married for almost 10 years and we have a cat daughter, Tesla. We are self-professed Disney addicts and can’t get enough of the Mouse! We enjoy being outdoors and exploring new places.
“We’re also pretty adventurous eaters, so we always like trying new foods. We also love just sitting and having a glass of red wine together.
“We both work for our local police department and run our own travel-planning business, Gateway Travel VA.
“We primarily write about couples travel and our main goal is to inspire working couples to take much-needed time-off from work, away from the grind, and enjoy time with each other. We understand it’s hard for working couples to take a full week off from work, so we focus on long weekend and short trip itineraries.”
When did you begin blogging, and why did you decide to start a blog?
“We began blogging in September 2018 (we’re newbies!) We started blogging because we wanted to share our travels and travel tips with a larger group of people outside our immediate friends and family.
“We wanted to show people – especially working couples – that it’s possible to take time off to travel without taking a full week off work or breaking the bank.”
What’s the best experience you’ve had as a blogger?
“We’ve enjoyed connecting to the larger community of travel bloggers. Everyone is very willing to help each other out and work together to achieve each other’s goals.”
What advice would you give to new bloggers who are just starting out?
“First, find a niche you’re passionate about and won’t get tired of writing about.
“Be prepared to research and keep learning everyday. As new bloggers, we feel like we’re constantly learning something new on a daily basis.”
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Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew
Characteristic of the cherished comfort food cuisine the USA’s Deep South is so well-known for, this tomato-based Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew is packed with tender chicken, butter beans (or lima beans), sweetcorn and potatoes.
Slow-Cooker Brunswick Stew
This tomato-based stew contains butter beans (also known as lima beans), sweetcorn, potatoes and poultry or meat. In modern times, Brunswick Stew normally contains chicken, but traditionally, the meat used would either be squirrel or rabbit. One of the most unique things about Brunswick Stew is that every family makes it differently based on what you were brought up with, so there’s s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to make it.
Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew is traditionally made in a large cast iron pot, cooked over fire for 24 hours or more and served for a large group of people. It’s often used as fundraiser for local rotary or boy scout clubs. This is a smaller, at-home version of the popular Brunswick Stew recipe.
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg chicken breasts
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 large white onion diced
- 2 white potatoes diced – please specify approx. weight in grams?
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 g can butter/lima beans drained
- 400 g can sweetcorn drained
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker and top with the chicken broth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Once the cooking time is up, remove the chicken and shred it, before returning it to the slow cooker and giving it a good stir.
- Serve with hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
- The meat will take between 6-8 hours to cook, so remember to check it at regular intervals.
- Brunswick Stew freezes well, so if you can’t eat it all, store it in a freezer-safe container for later!
- Make sure you allow the stew to cool down for 10-15 minutes before serving, as it’ll be pretty hot.
Nutrition
Feast your eyes upon the other recipes in my Eat Like a Local guest post series:
- Puerto Rican Empanadas
- Eggplant Walnut Wraps – Georgia
- Carrot Chutney – India
- Masala Chai Tea – India
- Carbonnade à la Flamande/Stoofvlees – Belgium
- Chokladbollar – Sweden
- Kladdkaka – Sweden
- Welsh Mussels and Whiskey – Wales
- Apfelstrudel – Austria
- Mimosa Salad – Russia
- Yellow Split Pea Soup – Norway
- Lechon Asado (Roast Pork Leg) – Cuba
- Cheese Fondue – Switzerland
That stew looks absolutely delicious. A great recipe for a pot luck or similar. Definitely going to make the smaller version!
I think so too! It would be a great dinner party dish.
this stew sounds incredible, like the ultimate comfort food! love the interview section – it’s always great to meet new bloggers!
Thank you. I love running this series, it’s so nice to ‘e-meet’ new bloggers and discover their favourite local recipes.
This looks so warm and satisfying! Will make a lovely dinner on a warm spring evening!
Too right. I love the look of this stew!
This recipe is nostalgic for me. I remember my college roommate making this all the time! It’s truly delicious and I need to whip this up again soon!
Aww, it’s so lovely to hear that this recipe brings back good memories for you!
I love anything in a Slow Cooker and this stew looks great!
Can you believe I’ve actually never used a slow cooker? I totally need to invest in one though.
Great recipe. Never heard about the history of this dish. Thanks for sharing it!
It was a first for me too. Looking forward to trying it!
I have never had Brunswick Stew so this is a must try. I love all the components.
Me neither. I am itching to try it as well!
This sounds heart and delicious – perfect for these lingering chilly spring days. I so rarely see lima beans in stew, but I love the idea and can’t wait to try this out!
I think it would be great for a dinner party.
Such a nice story and the Brunswick stew looks so yummy!
It looks like such a warming, hearty dish – Deep South comfort food <3
I’ve always wanted to try authentic recipes from the Deep South! They look so comforting and delicious, and so does this Brunswick stew!
Me too, I haven’t really explored this cuisine in-depth yet but writing this post made me want to make a trip to the Deep South.
I’ve never had brunswick stew but sounds like something in my family everyone would enjoy. I love a good recipe that has a story behind it.
I love the look of it too! Bet it’s delicious.
I grew up in Georgia and we ate a lot of Brunswick Stew served over white rice. Oh, the memories it brings back to me.
Aww, how lovely. I do love it when food brings back good memories.
I have never heard of Brunswick stew but I love learning about recipes from other countries. This stew sounds delicious I love slow cooked stews! Going to pin for later!
You should definitely check out some of the other recipes in this series; I bet you’d love them.
This is some delicious comfort food! I love how you make it in a slow cooker, which makes it super easy to whip up a big batch. Great recipe!
I agree, it’s actually made me realise how badly I need to splash out on a slow cooker!
I’ve never heard of Brunswick stew but it sounds really tasty. I love that it is made is the slow cooker, making it even easier to put together!
It looks so good. I bet it would be great for feeding a big crowd.
Interesting to read all the history behind! And that stew would be just about enough for a nice dinner in a company of good old friends 🙂 Delicious recipe.
I’d love to eat it with some crusty bread… mmm!
Just for a minute, I imagined myself making as much of this stew as in the picture! 🙂 That would be amazing and definitely an interesting experience. Either way, this recipe looks absolutely incredible!
That big pot of stew reminds me of the enormous cooking pots in the kitchen at my old primary school.
This stew looks delicious. I need to get me a slow cooker.
I know that feeling!
The stew looks delicious! I love chicken stew and I think everyone at my place would love it too. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you enjoy it if you decide to try out the recipe 🙂