Chicken Stew for Six
About a year and a half ago, on a late fall afternoon, I really wanted some thick, creamy chicken stew. Think a chicken and dumplings style, thick, creamy, warming bowl of love. I can't say exactly what went through my mind when looking for a recipe, but I found one. And then I immediately tore it apart and followed it in only the most basic way. Peppers, corn, paprika and basil just weren't in the stew I was craving.
I still can't tell you why I didn't just look for another recipe. I'm glad I didn't, because NES and I both love how it came out. But I think it might have been a moment of insanity.
There's one other thing I should tell you about this stew: you can make it as simple or chopping-involved as you want. My secret: Most of the time when I make this stew, I buy pre-chopped stew veggies from the grocery store. If I'm really lazy, I even buy pre-chopped chicken breast. I'm not proud of it, but there it is.
Often times this is a Sunday afternoon comfort food for us (bonus: we each usually get a couple lunches out of it!), and taking the time to chop carrots, onion, celery and potatoes after church for lunch isn't often in the cards. Also, I never use up all the celery from a package, so this way guarantees there's no sad celery left in the fridge afterwards. (And yes, I know, celery and peanut butter. But that means I have to remember to eat it.) I can't claim that for the chicken. That's just total laziness.
The best days are when I can find the stew veggies all chopped together (and small enough) at the store (usually they are in the area with the store-cut fruit and veggies at the grocery store). Sometimes, including the day I took these pictures, either the mix doesn't include one of the veggies (usually potatoes, but this time carrots) or they are cut too large (or both, like this time). That makes it not quite as easy, but, I know, first world problems.
This isn't quite a one pot meal, but it's not too far off. The creaminess comes from butter melted with flour and broth in a separate pot. Otherwise, it's all made in a single pot.
Also, I kinda love adding the butter mixture to the pot. It scared me the first time -- I thought I ruined it with a giant glob of sticky goo! But it stirs right into the broth and makes a beautifully creamy stew.
Because this is often a last minute Sunday afternoon comfort food, I've started keeping concentrated chicken broth in the fridge. I discovered Kitchen Accomplice brand a few years ago, and never looked back. This stew uses quite a bit of broth, so it's nice not to have to get multiple cans, boxes, etc. If I use the Kitchen Accomplice bone broth, I add a bit of extra salt to the stew. It's not quite as salty as their normal chicken broth.
Finally, we eat this meal almost exclusively with Food 52's yogurt biscuits. They are so easy to make (and not super fatty, since there's already butter in the stew!) and I can whip up a batch while the stew is simmering. They are really that quick and easy!
Creamy Chicken Stew
heavily adapted from Taste of Home
makes 6 large servings
1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into ~1 inch pieces
2 cups celery, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch disks
1 tsp ground thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
7 cups chicken broth, separated
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the chicken is lightly browned. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this stage.
Add the celery, potatoes, carrots, thyme, bay leaf and 5 cups of broth. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
(This is when you should make the biscuits!)
When there are about 5 minutes left on the simmering, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the broth. Whisk until smooth.
Allow the flour-butter mixture to come to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, add the flour-butter mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir until uniformly creamy, then return to a boil.
Turn down the heat, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve with biscuits!
There's one other thing I should tell you about this stew: you can make it as simple or chopping-involved as you want. My secret: Most of the time when I make this stew, I buy pre-chopped stew veggies from the grocery store. If I'm really lazy, I even buy pre-chopped chicken breast. I'm not proud of it, but there it is.
Often times this is a Sunday afternoon comfort food for us (bonus: we each usually get a couple lunches out of it!), and taking the time to chop carrots, onion, celery and potatoes after church for lunch isn't often in the cards. Also, I never use up all the celery from a package, so this way guarantees there's no sad celery left in the fridge afterwards. (And yes, I know, celery and peanut butter. But that means I have to remember to eat it.) I can't claim that for the chicken. That's just total laziness.
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| Before |
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| After |
This isn't quite a one pot meal, but it's not too far off. The creaminess comes from butter melted with flour and broth in a separate pot. Otherwise, it's all made in a single pot.
Also, I kinda love adding the butter mixture to the pot. It scared me the first time -- I thought I ruined it with a giant glob of sticky goo! But it stirs right into the broth and makes a beautifully creamy stew.
Because this is often a last minute Sunday afternoon comfort food, I've started keeping concentrated chicken broth in the fridge. I discovered Kitchen Accomplice brand a few years ago, and never looked back. This stew uses quite a bit of broth, so it's nice not to have to get multiple cans, boxes, etc. If I use the Kitchen Accomplice bone broth, I add a bit of extra salt to the stew. It's not quite as salty as their normal chicken broth.
Finally, we eat this meal almost exclusively with Food 52's yogurt biscuits. They are so easy to make (and not super fatty, since there's already butter in the stew!) and I can whip up a batch while the stew is simmering. They are really that quick and easy!
Stew is served!
Creamy Chicken Stew
heavily adapted from Taste of Home
makes 6 large servings
1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into ~1 inch pieces
2 cups celery, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch disks
1 tsp ground thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
7 cups chicken broth, separated
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the chicken is lightly browned. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this stage.
Add the celery, potatoes, carrots, thyme, bay leaf and 5 cups of broth. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
(This is when you should make the biscuits!)
When there are about 5 minutes left on the simmering, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the broth. Whisk until smooth.
Allow the flour-butter mixture to come to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, add the flour-butter mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir until uniformly creamy, then return to a boil.
Turn down the heat, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve with biscuits!
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