Acadian Chicken Stew

 We do not own a Dutch oven. And I've priced them and decided I've lived this long without one, I can probably make do without one. So, I opted for the crockpot for this recipe.

I also chose to use chicken broth, where it calls for water. I used thyme where it calls for summer savory. And no potatoes (my crockpot told me, it's either the potatoes or the dumplings, pick one, as there is no room for both). And I didn't need to use a Gravy Master. I browned the chicken, deglazed the pan with white wine, then cooked the veggies. All I had to do was add flour and chicken stock, and a wee bit of tomato paste, and it thickened up marvelously. Then everything went into the crockpot, plus more chicken broth, and the dumplings just get plopped by the spoonful into the liquid. I cooked it on high for four hours, but you could do a full 8 hours, on low, if you had the time.

And do you know what my husband and I both remarked, immediately upon tasting this delicious stew? "It tastes like chicken pot pie without the pie!" We love this meal and this will no doubt become one of our favorites. Indeed, it already is.

This recipe was submitted by Matt Pelletier. He remembers his grandmother making it whenever his family would come to visit. And what does he think it tastes like? "It tastes like a hug from my grandparents." Don't you just love those meals that bring the joy of family to mind?