Mama Loves Food!: Hunger Games Hob Stew. {Chicken & Sausage Stew}

Have you read the Hunger Games books? HAVE YOU READ THE HUNGER GAMES BOOKS??? I have. (But you probably guessed that already.) Also saw the movie. Did you only see the movie? If you did, then this Hunger Games Hob Stew probably won't make a whole lot of sense. They don't talk about Greasy Sae in the movie and they barely touch on The Hob.

Greasy Sae lives in District 12 and does business in The Hob (black market). She makes stew from whatever she can trade for (Katniss and Gale hunt and forage for her in the woods) and sells it (even to the Peacekeepers!). So, I channeled my inner Greasy Sae today and made this delicious stew for my friend's Hunger Games Party. Yes, Hunger Games Party. I know you're jealous.

Hunger Games Hob Stew Ingredients:

12 cups chicken stock or broth
6 Italian sausage links, uncooked (I used half hot and half mild, should equal about 4 cups of sausage when cooked and chopped)
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (I used jarred)
2 cups carrots, chopped
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
3 cups uncooked mixed beans* (I used the HamBeens 15 bean soup mix, without the flavor packet)
4 cups cooked and chopped chicken breast (click here to learn how to always have cooked chicken breast on hand!)

Hunger Games Hob Stew Directions:

(If you want to do things all right and proper, rinse your beans and soak them in a large covered pot overnight. I didn't do that.)
Bring chicken stock to a boil and add uncooked sausage (I actually boiled 16 sausage links and set aside the extras for another dish. This is a great way to impart additional flavor into your soup while also saving yourself cooking time on your next sausage dish). Also add carrots, onion, green pepper, tomato, and garlic.
Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 - 45 minutes, until sausage is cooked through. Remove sausage and brown both sides in another pan on the stove top. Chop sausage into bite size pieces and set aside.
Add beans to soup and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for two hours, or until beans are tender (this will happen faster if you were responsible about soaking your beans in advance).
When beans are tender, add chicken and sausage to soup and simmer an additional 20 minutes. Add 1 - 2 cups of water, if necessary.
Serve and enjoy!

{Yields about 6.5 quarts}

*If you want to make your own bean mix, these are what were included in my package: northern pinto, large lima, yelloweye bean, garbanzo, baby lima, split pea, kidney, cranberry bean, small white, pink bean, small red, yellow split pea, lentil, navy, white kidney, and black bean.