Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

One of my favorite meals, especially on a cold wintry day is chicken and dumplings.  I like to make my broth from scratch so this is a recipe that will cook throughout the day.  Below is my recipe for making some delicious chicken and dumplings that are made with chicken, onion, celery, carrots, peas, water, a bit of chicken bouillon, cream of mushroom soup, parsley, sage, pepper and garlic powder.  The dumplings are made from flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, butter, fresh parsley and milk

Ingredients:

4 quarts of water
1 (4 lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 small onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 Knorr’s bouillon cubes
1 large onion, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
8 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of sage
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1 (10.5 oz.) can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of frozen peas
1 tablespoon of parsley, chopped
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, minced
3/4 cup of milk

Instructions:

You will want to put your water, chicken, onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves into a large pot or Dutch oven and heat it over a medium high heat.  When the pot begins to boil, partially cover your pot with your lid at an angle and then reduce your heat and bring to a simmer.  You will want to let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until your chicken is tender and the juices run clear.  You will need to skim the foam from the surface as necessary as it cooks, especially at the beginning.

At that point remove your chicken from the pot and let it cool until the chicken is cool enough to handle.  Then remove your meat from the bones, cut it into bite sized peaces and place your chicken into an air tight container and then into the refrigerator.  Then return your bones and skin to your pot and let your broth simmer for about 4 to 6 hours so that your broth gets some nice flavor  You will most likely need to add some water to your pot while your broth simmers since the broth will cook down.  At that time remove all bones, skin an any solids from your broth by running your broth, a little at a time, through a large strainer into a large bowl.  I usually push down on the solids in the strainer to make certain I get all the broth that I can.  Now discard your solids.  Then return your broth to your pot.  I usually have about 10 cups of broth at this point.  You can add some water to your broth if need be.  Then place your pot over a medium high heat.  Now add one bouillon cube into your broth and let the broth cook a bit so that the bouillon cube dissipates.  Then taste your broth to see if you need to add another bouillon cube.   If so, then add another bouillon cube, taste your broth and then decide if you have the right flavor.  You can always add a third bouillon cube if you wish but make certain that you do not add too much since bouillon is very salty.  The use of bouillon in this recipe is why I do not add salt.

You now want to add in your onion, celery, carrots, garlic powder, sage and pepper to your pot and bring your broth to a boil.  When your broth comes to a boil, partially cover your pot with your lid at an angle and then reduce your heat and bring your broth to a simmer and then let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until your vegetables are tender.  Then add in your add in your cream of mushroom soup and peas and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes,

You will want to prepare your dumplings right after your add in your cream of mushroom soup and peas into your broth.  To do that take a medium mixing bowl and add in your flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt and whisk your ingredients together.  Then add in your butter, parsley and milk and mix your ingredients together with a fork until your mixture comes together as a dough.  You do not want to over mix the dough for your dumplings.

Now add the chicken that you set aside along with your parsley to the pot and make sure that your broth is at a simmer.  If so, then take an ice cream scoop and scoop out round balls of your dough and drop them into your broth.  They should float up to the surface when you place them in.  When all of your dumplings are in your pot you will want to place your lid on your pot, making certain that it tightly covers your pot.  Then let your dumplings simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, making certain to keep the lid on during this time since you want the steam to cook your dumplings and not the boiling broth.   Do not remove your lid for at least 15 minutes.  By cooking your dumplings this way they will be light and airy.  Your dumplings are done when they are firm to the touch.  When your dumplings are done your chicken and dumplings are ready to serve.  You will then want to ladle your broth, chicken and vegetables into some large serving bowls and then serve your chicken and dumplings with about 3 dumplings over top.  enjoy