TCG Eats: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

As the weather gets cooler, I start craving comfort foods.  The other day I had a family size package of chicken breasts and didn’t know what to make with them.  I went through my list of usual suspects but nothing sounded quite right.  Then it hit me – I want some chicken and dumplings!!  But…I didn’t want to take all night to make it.  It was a school night so I needed something relatively easy.  So I kind of just figured it out.

YUM!  It came out so good!  Just what I needed.  We even had leftovers for the next day and we were actually excited about it!

Since it wasn’t a planned recipe, I didn’t take any step by step photos but it was easy enough that I think you’ll be able to follow along.

• I started with 6 thin cut chicken breasts and cut them into pieces- about 1 inch in size.

• I had  a bag of baby carrots and cut them up into smaller pieces.

• I then chopped up half of a large yellow onion.

• In a pot I heated up about 1 tablespoon of butter with some canola oil.

• I sprinkled the chicken with kosher salt and lightly dredged the pieces in flour.

• I cooked the chicken in batches – for a few minutes each.  When it was done I just kept it in a bowl to the side.

• Once all of the chicken was done and out of the pot, I put the carrots and onion in the pot.  If the pot is too dry, add a bit more oil.  As it was cooking I sprinkled in some kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Remember – season as you go!

• Once the onions started to look translucent (kind of clear and not white anymore) I put the chicken back in the pot, added an almost full box of Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock (my favorite brand), a bay leaf and some dried thyme.  Mix it up, put the lid on and now start on the dumplings.

• For the dumplings I put 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl.  make a little well in the middle and have about 1 cup of very cold water on hand.  Slowly add in some water and with your hands start to mix it around.  Keep adding small amounts of water and mixing until all of the flour is incorporated.  You probably won’t use all of the water – maybe about 3/4 of a cup.

• The dough will probably be sticky so put some flour on your counter and start rolling it out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut the dough into 1 inch strips and then cut the strips into pieces.

• The chicken and carrot combo should be at a low boil by now  Place the dough pieces into the pot making sure each piece get submerged.  Gently stir it around a bit and then put the lid back on.

Let it cook for about 5 more minutes and you’re done!  It gets all thick and delicious.  A perfect dinner for a cool Fall evening.

Just remember to take out the bay leaf.  It’s only there for flavoring – not eating!!  Let me know if you make it!

Chicken and Dumplings – Ingredients:

6 thin cut chicken breats

1 bag of baby carrots

1/2 large yellow onion diced

1 32 ounce box of Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt, pepper and dried thyme

Dumplings Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon salt

about 1 cup very cold water