Chicken and Dumplings

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Sometimes it's not until I try to link to something on my menu that I realize that one of my regular go-to recipes has never been posted here. Last week we had one our family favorites, especially in the winter -- Chicken and Dumplings. I have the recipe on my other blog, Praying for Grace, but it was not accessible in my archives here. So, I am reposting it with a new picture.

This is basically the recipe I grew up with except my mom always used Bisquick to make dumplings. I would rather just use pantry basics to make mine, and Bisquick is not usually found in my pantry. You can make good dumplings (better dumplings) for a lot less by using flour, shortening, baking powder, salt and milk. This recipe is very kid-friendly. I cook my chicken with onion and celery for flavor, but I remove all the vegetables except the carrots before it gets to the table. So all the kids see are fluffy dumplings, carrot bites and tender pieces of tasty chicken.

In the ingredients, I have 2 or 3 chicken breasts listed. If you like a lot of chicken use 3, but I prefer more dumpling than chicken, so I use 2.

served with steamed green beans


Chicken and Dumplings
serves 6

2-3 large bone-in chicken breast halves
5 cups water
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 peeled, smashed garlic cloves (smash them with the side of a large knife - don't chop them)
2 stalks celery, halved

6 carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces

6 T. shortening
3 c. all-purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, place chicken and water, onions, garlic and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer gently for 30 - 40 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from water and set aside. Remove and discard onion, garlic and celery. Strain broth. Return broth to pot. After chicken has cooled, remove skin and bones and break chicken into large pieces (larger than bite-size). Place chicken back in broth with carrot pieces. Cook over medium heat until carrots are tender, but not soft, about 15 minutes. Add more water to broth if necessary -- when dumplings are added you should have about 2 inches of water in the pot around the chicken and carrots. If you have too much water still, you can thicken it with a little flour water, if desired (not necessary).

In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening into flour, baking powder, and salt, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto simmering liquid (liquid should not be boiling hard, just simmering). Season tops of dough with salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

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