Sage Thyme Chicken Stew with Cornbread Dumplings. An easy to make chicken stew that’s ready in only about 2 hours with fresh herb flavours to enhance the rich gravy. The cornbread dumplings are the perfect addition to this satisfying comfort food meal.
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Sage Thyme Chicken Stew with cornbread dumplings
Originally published March 2014.
The winter weather is making me crave even more comfort food meals like this chicken stew. The winds have been particularly howling the past few days here on the Avalon and I think they’ve blown a chill through my bones.
Just the sound of high winds has always made me shiver, so this quick chicken and dumplings recipe was a welcome meal.
Now I say chicken and dumplings but of course that Southern staple dish is not a traditional dish here in Newfoundland. I never had chicken stew growing up but we did always have “dough boys”, our version of dumplings, cooked in simmering pots of soup or stew.
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Sage Thyme Chicken Stew
Of course, many Southerners know a type of flour and water noodle as dumplings rather than the baking powder raised type I’ve used here, so it depends on where you hail from down there. I like both, but decided a cornbread version would be great in this hearty recipe.
Some fresh herbs were on sale at the market and provided additional inspiration for the herbed gravy in this stew. Their fresh fragrance really reminded me of the promise of the coming Spring when I will again be able to pluck them fresh from a small herb garden near the kitchen door.
Spring is still coming right? We had snow quite early this year so it sure will be welcome after what seems one of the longest winters I can ever remember.
You might also like our terrific recipe for Creamy Dijon Chicken Linguine.
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Sage Thyme Chicken Stew with cornbread dumplings
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Sage Thyme Chicken Stew with Cornbread Dumplings
An easy to make chicken stew that's ready in only about 2 hours with fresh herb flavours to enhance the rich gravy. The cornbread dumplings are the perfect addition to this satisfying comfort food meal.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in about 1 inch cubes.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- pinch salt and pepper to season
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 large white onion
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock, 5 cups in total will be needed
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 4 carrots
- 1 cup corn kernals, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 4 rounded tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup water
For the Cornbread Dumplings
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup cold butter
- 2/3 cup milk
Instructions
- Over medium high heat add the olive oil to the bottom of a heavy bottom dutch oven. Add the chicken to the heated oil, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing often until the chicken has browned. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- To the hot pot add the garlic, onions and celery and saute until the onions soften. Return the chicken to the pot and add the sage and thyme. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock. The stock should be boiling hot to speed up the cooking time of this recipe. Stir together, cover and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.
- After an hour add the carrots, corn and peas along with the remaining 3 cups of hot chicken stock. Bring to the boil on the stove top and slowly add a thickening slurry made by whisking together the flour and water until no lumps are left; stir constantly as you add the slurry to stew. Drop the cornbread dumpling batter in large rounded tablespoonfuls into the stew and return to the oven for a half hour before serving.
To make the cornbread dumplings
- Sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. With a pastry blender or pulsing in a food processor, cut the butter into the flour until small pieces are still visible. Quickly stir in the milk with a wooden spoon until a thick batter forms.
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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
8 or more servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 465Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 115mgSodium 391mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 4gSugar 8gProtein 37g
Heather Thibodeau
Wednesday 4th of December 2019
Can this recipe be adapted for a slow cooker?
Patti
Thursday 7th of September 2017
Just wondering if the lid is supposed to be on or off after you drop the dumplings into the stew and put it back into the oven. Please let me know. Thank you.
Barry C. Parsons
Saturday 9th of September 2017
I leave it on. They cook quicker.
Christa N
Friday 29th of January 2016
This recipe was excellent. I used chicken breast and thighs but next time I will just use thighs. I used dry thyme and sage and it was still delicious. The cornbread dumplings were so good... Thanks for the recipe.
Barry C. Parsons
Monday 8th of February 2016
One of the best comfort food meals I know.
Mabel Foran
Saturday 23rd of January 2016
Do you mean to thicken before you add the dumplings? Would the liquid not be too thick to put the dumplings in? Just asking because I plan on trying this recipe. Thank you.
Barry C. Parsons
Sunday 14th of February 2016
I do thicken it first. I don't ever make really thick gravy.
Rosanne
Saturday 28th of February 2015
My boyfriend and I made this last night and it was by far one of the best soup/stew recipes I've ever tried! The fresh herbs added so much flavor and the aroma while cooking had my mouth watering. I'd never heard of cornmeal dumplings, so these were a unique and wonderful addition to this stew. This is definitely on my list of foods to look forward to in winter!