Chicken Stew Ala Cindy And Lakeside Tavern

Cindy likes to take her turn cooking suppers and for this meal she chose chicken stew then kicked it up by adding drop dumplings to it.  As it turned out, we had a recent recipe for Creamy Chicken Stew from Cathy on her “Noble Pig” blog  and Cindy found the recipe for Fluffy Dumplings on the “Just A Pinch” blog.  Unfortunately she was too busy cooking to take many pics but this is my bowl.

Creamy Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. chicken breast cubed (or use tenders or thighs)

2 tbsps. olive oil

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 celery stalks sliced

2 medium carrots sliced into coins

2 tbsp butter

4 cloves garlic minced

¼ cup all-purpose flour

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (our homemade)

2 cups cubed Yukon Gold potatoes

1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon chicken base

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp dried rosemary leaves

½ tsp dried poultry seasoning

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp dried sage leaves

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions:

1.Add the chicken to a large pot with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. (You don't even need to season the chicken separately, just throw it all in.) Sauté over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden and the juices run clear. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. (Cindy roasted the chicken in a separate pot)

2.Add the onion, celery, carrots, and butter to the same pot. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.

3.Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

4.Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for one minute to coat the vegetables and form the base for the creamy broth.

5.Pour in the chicken broth and add the potatoes, Better Than Bouillon, thyme, rosemary, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and sage. Stir well to dissolve the bouillon and lift any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

6.Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender enough to be pierced with a fork. The stew should start to thicken as the starch from the potatoes blends with the flour and stock.

7.Return the cooked chicken to the pot, then stir in the Parmesan and heavy cream.

8.Simmer for another few minutes, just until everything is warmed through and the broth turns rich and creamy.

9.Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

10.Cindy added the drop dumplings at this point.

11.Finish with chopped parsley before serving.

The Verdict:
Both the stew and the dumplings were delicious and I can’t imagine either could have been any better.  I believe this will be our broth ingredients for chicken and dumplings, chicken noodle soup, etc. going forward.

Lakeside Tavern

We (Bev, Pat, Larry) went out with Kathy for our regular lunch outing and as suggested by Pat, we went to Lakeside Tavern located west of Knoxville.  

Nice view of Fort Loudon Lake.

As usual, I read the menu at home and knew my order before we walked in.  After reading the description, we got an order of onion rings for the table – “Colossal onion rings – ($11.99) Hand-cut sweet onion slices, hand-battered with Japanese bread crumbs, fried golden and piled high. Served with chipotle ranch dressing.”

The individual rings and the serving size were both huge and these may be the best onion rings I’ve ever had.

For our meals, Kathy got an appetizer – “Spicy Shrimp ($14.99) Battered shrimp fried, then tossed in a sweet and spicy Asian sauce.”

Pat also ordered an appetizer – “Southwest Egg Rolls ($13.99) Grilled chicken breast, sweet corn, black beans, red pepper, onions, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses inside a crispy wonton wrapper. Served with avocado-ranch dipping sauce.”

Bev ordered the “Chicken pasta Combo ($15.99) Marinated grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli florets, sautéed with penne pasta in a sherry cream sauce. Paired with your choice of House or Caesar salad.”

I ordered the "Shrimp & Grits ($16.99) Blackened jumbo shrimp sautéed with roasted red and green bell peppers. Served over velvety Southern cheddar cheese grits, with a Creole roux gravy."

Pic too blurry to show

Everyone enjoyed their meals and I’m not usually willing to make a 40 minute drive to go out for lunch, but the food, the service, and the location all made it well worth the trip and the prices were very reasonable - I look forward to revisiting soon.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

11/4 & 11/6/25 event dates