This time of year is brilliant in the South. For one the days are still fairly warm and the nights are chilly enough to don the long sleeves and cuddle up with….a nice cook book. I read through some of my favorite autumn recipes and thought I would share a few old and new stew recipes. These rich and delicious bowlfuls of goodness will surely warm up the chilliest of southern evenings.

I love using a cast iron Dutch oven for all three of these recipes, but you can use a stock pot or slow cooker to get nearly the same results. If you do use a slow cooker, make sure you sear off the meat in a skillet and deglaze well before putting the meat into the slow cooker, this way you get the best flavors!

*The next recipe is great if you have a bunch of left over baked or grilled chicken. You can use all white meat if you’d like.

1 cut up 3-4 pound chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

2 tablespoons garam masala

1 tablespoon ground cumin

salt and pepper

1 large can diced tomatoes

24 ounces low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups baby carrots

¼ cup dried apricots

½ cup dried raisins

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

1 can garbanzo beans

Heat Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and chicken pieces. Brown the chicken well and set aside. Sauté onions and add ginger and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients except the garbanzo beans. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Add garbanzo beans and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, covered. To serve, remove chicken and then divide the remaining stew into four bowls. Add a piece of chicken on top and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.