Fall’s coming. I can feel it. I walked out of the house yesterday morning, and if I hadn’t been heading out on a run I would have gone back in for a sweater. By the time I got to the farmer’s market around noon the sun was bold and bright, but by early evening that unmistakable chill was back in the air. Good, I thought. Stew season’s back. Finally it’s time for one of my shove-it-in-the-oven stews, but this time with all those late-summer vegetables.
This stew is no different from any of my other shove-it recipes. Just cut up boneless, skinless chicken thighs and some of those eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and onions you’re trying to figure out what to do with. Add them to the pan with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbes de Provence. And yes, that’s it. You’re done. Just shove that roasting pan in the oven and head outdoors to soak up the last of the summer sun!
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
- 1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into one-inch dice
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into one-inch dice
- 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into one-inch dice
- 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into one-inch dice
- 2 cups (1 pint) cherry tomatoes
- 8 peeled garlic cloves, sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoons herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken, eggplant, onion, pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Add olive oil, herbs, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper; gently toss to coat.
- Roast until chicken and vegetables are fully stewed, 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven. Stir lightly to mix and serve!
This looks so good. The kids are coming for a visit this weekend and I was looking for something good (and easy) to serve them. Gonna make this. I have several of your cookbooks but couldn’t find “Shove in the Oven” recipes in them. Which of your books does that idea come from? Thanks. I check your blog every day – love it!!!
Hey Sharon, The idea for shove-it-in-the-oven dishes came from Sausages and White Beans, Cassoulet=Style in Perfect One-Dish Dinners. That recipe was so popular that I wanted to come up with other dishes as simple. The other shove-it dishes are on Three Many Cooks. Just check out our archives. Enjoy!
Hmmm, I have that book – guess I missed it. Thanks. I’ll check out the other dishes in your archive.
Hi Pam – Would it be OK to sub chicken breast for chicken thighs? I have a family that prefers white meat.
Thanks
I think it would be just fine. The breasts, of course, will be a little drier than boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but there’s all that juice from the stew which will help moisten it. If you try it, let me know how it goes.
I had a couple of my chickens butchered by the local Amish – can I use a whole cut up chicken in this recipe?
This was amazing-a huge hit with the family! I omitted the eggplant and used a red pepper and a yellow pepper, along with the zucchini, onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes called for. Next time -and there will be a next time, soon–I might add extra veggies.
This was so delicious. I served it with brown rice, and the leftovers were even better. The whole family loved it, even my non-veggie loving son.
This sounds like a perfect weeknight dinner. Minimal and quick prep time and hands off cooking, plus a perfect amount for two people’s dinners and then leftovers for lunch the next day.
Such brilliant and amazing-looking comfort food. It sounds so easy and so perfect for this time of year. I can’t wait to try it – maybe tonight.
Hi Pam- i made this great recipe last night and it was a big success. I used chicken breasts and it worked very well. The chicken was tender and flavorful. Thanks you so much for a delicious and easy recipe – the perfect dish for a cool fall evening!
Hi! I made this the other night, goofed big time and it was still amazing!! After throwing it in the oven, I had to run out to pick up one of my kids and got held up. Rather than cooking for an hour, it was in the oven for an hour and a half and still tasted incredible. Veggies were all carmelized and the chicken thighs stayed moist, served it with green salad and olive baguette. My family loved it and I was a hero, what a turn around! Thanks!!
SO glad to hear your story. These shove-it-in-the-oven recipes are super easy and super forgiving!
Pam, I love this and have made it several times. I was wondering, could it be done in a slow cooker?
thanks!
Hey Beverly, I think this method works because the ingredients are spread out, almost in a single layer, in the roasting pan, and it cooks at a relatively high heat. With a slow cooker the ingredients would be stacked pretty deep and cook pretty slowly, so I’m thinking it might just turn to mush.