Good morning and welcome to a new How-To Monday!

Today we’re going to be discussing bone broth and how to get it into your diet. Bone broth has been used for centuries, long before its effectiveness was even understood. Who hasn’t heard the suggestion that we should eat a bowl of chicken soup when we are feeling a bit under the weather? That’s because broth is ingrained in us as a healing proponent.

But why, exactly, is bone broth so good for us? Let’s break it down in condensed form:

• Bone broth contains many different minerals which aid in developing healthy bones, ligaments, tendons, joints, and connective tissue. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulfur, and silicon. Calcium is especially found in abundance in bone broth. It can aid in the repression of joint pain and inflammation, among other benefits. The calcium and phosphorous also support good dental health.
• The gelatinous material found in the smaller bones used in making bone broth helps support good digestive health. Gelatin helps contain digestive juices which support digestion. Those who suffer from chronic digestive disorders such as IBS or colitis could greatly benefit from an addition of good bone broth in their diet.
• Have the flu or another gut-wrenching bug attacking you? Gelatin aids in the suppression of such ailments.
• Collagen and gelatin help the healing process of wounds and soft tissue.
• Bone marrow, which is much more prominent in the larger bones in broth making, helps our body produce good healthy blood. It’s also a supporter of immune development and helps us fight infections.
• Bone broth makes us beautiful too, contributing to healthy hair and skin.

Only the pure in heart can make a good soup. -Ludwig van Beethoven

How does one go about making bone broth? I have written articles in the past on how to make broth from turkey (the same recipe applies to chicken, duck, rabbit, pheasant, or other white meats) and bear (which applies to any red meat such as beef, venison, lamb, etc.). You can reference those according to the types of bones you are using. Just keep in mind to always use bones from grass fed, wild, or organically raised animals. Commercially raised animals are fed countless questionable materials which contain toxins and poisons that are stored within the fatty parts of bone…as in the parts that make up the most beneficial part of your broth.

Indeed, stock is everything in cooking. . . without it nothing can be done. -Auguste Escoffier

So let’s discuss how to get bone broth incorporated into our cooking.

1. As a broad, general suggestion, replace the water in your meat-based slow cooker/casserole/skillet recipes with broth. Not only will this improve the flavor but will also inject your meal with all the wonderful benefits that bone broth allows.
2. Make cream soups quickly and easily from scratch. Add to the slow cooker when making whole chicken or pot roast to not only prevent them from getting dried out, but to pack a flavor punch! Also great when used in rice dishes, soups, and casseroles. See my articles on how to make cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup, both of which use bone broth.

Here are 10 of my favorite recipes that include bone broth:

Cheesy Bacon Chicken Casserole (use my cream of chicken soup recipe to replace the canned soup in this one)

Chicken Pot Pie

Quick Beef Stroganoff (use my cream of chicken & cream of celery soup recipes)

 Sheperd’s Pie (double the recipe and put in a 13×9 pan)

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup (this is the BEST! and uses 3 jars of broth)

Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

Italian Style Braised Rabbit

Old Hen (or rooster, rabbit) in Parsley Sauce

Amish Chicken Casserole

Spicy Sausage Pasta (one of my husband’s most favorite dishes- I substitute my homemade salsa for the Rotel)

You may also choose to drink your broth straight. Whenever I am feeling a cold coming on, I heat up a cup of broth and drink it 2-3 times a day. I swear by it!

For further reading, check out these helpful links:

Bone Broth for Health Building: Nourishing the Liver and Kidneys

Amazing Health Benefits of Bone Broth

Bone Broth: Nutritional Facts & Benefits

How do you use bone broth in your diet?

Shared at:

The Art of Homemaking Mondays #53