Chicken Stew with Cheddar Parsley Dumplings

This is a nice hearty simple, what-are-we-going-to-make-for-dinner-tonight? dish. Simple, basic and delicious, using mostly ingredients you already have in the pantry.  I really prefer using inexpensive bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.  The thighs are the most flavorful part of the chicken, and cooking them with the skin on and the bone in adds even more flavor.

You can use any biscuits you like for the dumplings, but I must admit my favorite is Bisquick biscuits...easy and tasty, especially if you add cheese and fresh parsley!

The chicken stew also makes an incredible filling for a pot pie.  Simply skip the dumplings and instead  transfer the stew to a baking dish, top with prepared puff pastry, brush with an egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden and puffed.


Chicken Stew with Cheddar Parsley Dumplings
serves 4-6

4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
salt, pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, diced
2 medium russet potatoes, skin on, diced
1 cup carrots, peeled, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp dried ground thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (or 2 stalks fresh)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup frozen peas


Cheddar Parsley Dumplings
2 cups Bisquick
2 Tbsp minced parsley
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk

Pre heat oven to 350 F.

Make dumpling dough by placing Bisquick mix in a large bowl. Add cheese and parsley and toss to coat.  Add milk and mix until a dough forms.   From into walnut sized balls.  Reserve.

Rinse chicken thighs, pat dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper.  In a large pot heat olive oil over medium high heat, add butter and allow to melt.  When butter stops foaming, add chicken pieces, skin side down.  Allow to brown very well until skin is very brown and crisp, flip chicken and brown other side. Transfer chicken to oven-proof baking dish, and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Reserve drippings in pan.

While chicken is baking, to hot pan drippings add, onion, potatoes, carrots and celery.  Cook vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper, continue to cook for 10 more minutes until vegetables are very tender.  Add flour to vegetables, and toss to coat, mixture will become very thick.  Add chicken stock and stir to mix in, scraping up any brown delicious bits from the bottom.  Add milk and honey and stir in.  Cook until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven, peel off skin, and discard (or if you are me, EAT!).  Carefully remove meat from bone and coarsely chop, add to stew along with any pan juices. Add peas and stir in. Drop walnut-sized pieces of dumpling dough into stew, cover with lid and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes until dumplings have puffed and are fully cooked.  Serve hot!