Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

Servings: 6 | Prep & Cook: 50 minutes

Ingredients — Soup Base

• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups half and half
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 4 cups shredded chicken (cooked)
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• 2 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

Ingredients — Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 4 Tbsp melted butter

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add half and half and chicken stock, stirring to prevent lumps.
3. Bring to a boil, then add chicken, thyme, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to a simmer while making dumplings.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, pepper, salt, and thyme.
5. Make a well in center. Pour in milk and melted butter. Stir until dough forms.
6. Using a cookie scoop or spoons, drop dough balls directly into simmering soup, spacing them around the pot.
7. Gently press dumplings down so soup covers just their tops.
8. Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to low simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
9. Check doneness by cutting a dumpling in half. If needed, cook 3-4 minutes more.

Prep Tips

• Use rotisserie chicken or cook chicken ahead to save time
• This makes excellent leftovers — the dumplings soak up the broth