Anyone else need some homemade comfort food to warm you up in January? Me too…
Growing up, this was one of my favorite meals, and mom made it regularly. It takes some old fashioned loving care, but that is what makes it soooo good. Once you make it a couple times, you’ll be able to make it your own by adding your own special touches.
I always use very high quality chicken, either farm-raised, or organic from the store for this recipe. It just makes the broth so much better, and you can feel good about using the remaining carcass to create a super-nutritious bone broth another day.
I never peel the potatoes or carrots in this, or any other recipe. The peels add texture, color and nutrients- why throw all that away?!
When you chop your celery, don’t toss the leaves! Chop the leaves up with the stalk- they add fragrance and flavor that you just can’t get from only using the stalk.
You may have a blend of herbs and spices you prefer for chicken based recipes- use it! What I use in the recipe changes each time I make it depending on how I feel, or what I have on hand that day. Taste and adjust as you go.
If you have some winter fun planned for the day, come in from the cold and warm yourself with a steaming bowl of this lovely stew. If you do, let me know what you think!
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken Whole or cut up
- 2 lbs Red Potatoes Cubed 1" Pieces
- 4-5 Large Carrots 1" Pieces
- 2 Stalks Celery Chopped
- 1 Whole Onion Chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 Cups Chicken broth
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper To taste
Dumplings (Any biscuit recipe or mix will do- this is what I use)
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 7 tbsp Chilled butter thin slices
- 1 Cup Milk (or buttermilk)
Instructions
- Saute onions, celery and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened.
- Add chicken, water, chicken broth and seasonings.
- Simmer on low/med heat until chicken is starting to come off the bone.
- Remove chicken from broth.
- Add potatoes and carrots to broth
- De-bone and cut up chicken meat. I like to leave my chicken in pretty large chunks, but any size cut will do. You can reserve chicken bones and remaining carcass to make bone broth later!
- Add chicken back to broth and simmer on low until carrots and potatoes are almost tender.
Dumplings
- In the meantime, mix up the biscuit dough- If using this biscuit recipe, add dry ingredients to a bowl and cut in cold butter. Add milk in small amounts and mix until the dough just comes together. The dough should be on the dry side, but just sticking together. Do not over mix.
- Once the potatoes and carrots are starting to get tender, add the dough mix by approximately 1.5" 'drops.' Do not roll the dumplings tightly- just scoop with a spoon from your bowl and drop into the simmering broth.
- Cover the pot for 10 minutes to cook the dumplings through.
- Enjoy! Let me know what you think
Looks delicious!!! I haven’t made it for a long time…maybe I am due to. I actually learned it from your Grandma Bell. Perfect food…and I love that you don’t peel your veggies.
I don’t remember her ever making it, but you did! I taught it to Sue too, and she made it often ❤ A chicken dumpling legacy!