Hearty Chicken Stew

Comfort food…oh, how I love you! And I am so happy your time to shine has come again. Not that you’ve been gone. Actually, you’ve never completely disappeared from this blog. I mean, meat and potatoes are my favorite! And it’s a cozy season, so comfort food is in full force. Just look at this hearty chicken stew!

You know, even though sometimes I complain about the weather, I think it may be a good thing I live in such a cold place. As much as I hate cold weather, I love cozy… and in my understanding you can’t really be cozy without cold.

For those potatoes and meat fans in the crowd, I’ve got something very very special for you. This simple but hearty chicken stew is made of some potatoes, juicy chicken caramelized with onions and garlic, and baked with a splash of sour cream sauce. Hearty, rich, and creamy!

It takes minutes to put together, and then just letting the oven do the work. The flavors of the ingredients intensify as they bake and result in a wonderfully complex-tasting dish, when in reality there’s really just a small handful of the ingredients.

This hearty chicken stew is a foolproof recipe with a ten minute prep time and about 30 minutes in the oven…which clearly means that the 30 minutes in the oven gives you 30 minutes to relax, read, maybe have a glass of wine or grape juice, or whatever else you’re up to.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 big onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 lb baby potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

1 tsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp dill, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup grated swiss cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it over high heat in a large skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet or it won’t brown properly. Remove the chicken and add onions with garlic to the same skillet. Brown until caramelized.

Place the chicken and onions into the oven proof pot.

Layer the potatoes on top and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the sour cream and chicken stock and pour it over the potatoes.

Bake for 25 minutes covered or until fork tender. Then uncover, add chopped parsley, dill and cheese on top. Bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.