Chicken Stew For New Year'S Day

• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 large onions
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 t. dried thyme
• 1 t. freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 c. leftover champagne (or other white wine, if you're in a pinch)
• 2 cups whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, well rinsed and drained
• 4 stems chard
• 1.5 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 T. salt, or to taste

1. Heat olive oil in large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat for a few minutes while chopping the onion into small chunks. Sautee onions in the oil until golden; they should be sticking to the pan. Stir in the garlic, thyme and pepper and sautee for about a minute, until fragrant. Raise the heat to medium or medium-high and deglaze the pot with 1 cup of champagne; bring everything to a boil and then stir in one more cup of champagne. Roughly chop the canned tomatoes and add to the pot with the beans. Bring everything back to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook about 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, rinse the chard and cut each stem in half lengthwise, then slice it into thin ribbons. When the stew has simmered about 1/2 hour, add the chard and 1 more cup of champagne and simmer about 15-20 minutes more until the chard is tender. Meanwhile, chop the chicken into small (~3/4 inch) pieces. Once the chard is tender, stir in the chicken and 1 more cup of champagne if the stew looks too dry. Simmer 5 minutes more then turn of the heat and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Salt to taste and serve. This dish is very good served with mashed potatoes or other starchy accompaniment to soak up the sauce.

olive oil, onions, garlic, thyme, ground pepper, leftover champagne, tomatoes, cannellini beans, chard, chicken breast, salt

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/chicken-stew-for-new-years-day-50015166 (may not work)