Chicken & Dumplings

Today's post is the final dish made from the first batch of chicken breasts that were on sale. Tomorrow, I will start a series of posts with what make from the second batch that start today.

Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings are true comfort food. It is warm and filling while being easy and frugal to make. I make the soup from scratch using fresh ingredients. The dumplings are made using The Master Mix (Homemade 'bisquick' Substitute) or Bisquick baking mix. Either give a light, fluffy dumpling resembling clouds. I find it best to make only the number of dumplings you will use for that meal. While they can be kept for left-overs, they will absorb more of the liquid reducing their fluffiness. The soup portion will thicken with the addition of the dumplings leaving the left-overs more like a stew. This re-heats nicely as a stew or filling and fresh dumpling mix can be added if desired.

Chicken & Dumplings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
2 stocks celery, sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and coined
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf or 2 sprigs thyme
1-2 c frozen corn niblets
4-5 potatoes, washed, unpeeled and cubed
1 quart (homemade) chicken stock (see last entry)
sea salt and pepper to taste

2 cups baking mix (Bisquit or homemade)
~ 1/2 - 3/4 c milk to make a lumpy thick mixture

Place the chicken and bay leaf in a large stockpot and cover with about 4 inches of water. You will need about 3 inches headspace once the dumpling mix has been added. Bring to a boil. Add celery, carrots, potatoes, onion and stock. Return to boil then reduce heat. Cover and let simmer until potatoes are soft. Stir in corn. Add water if necessary to ensure liquid is covering the meat and vegetables by about 3 inches while leaving a 3 inch headspace from the top rim of the stockpot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a medium simmer.

Mix the baking mix and milk with a fork to form a lumpy thick mixture. Do not over mix and do not add too much milk. Using a serving spoon, drop one spoonful of the dumpling mix at a time into the hot soup. Do not underestimate how much these will expand. The pot I use for a small batch is 10 inch diameter. This holds 4 large dumplings nicely. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, no peaking and no stirring! Remove the lid and check for any signs of raw dumpling mix. If there is, cover and leave for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Using a large slotted spoon, carefully go in and under a dumpling then lift it onto a plate. Surround the dumpling with vegetable and chicken mix. Ladle a little of the thickened sauce over everything. Repeat for the other dumplings.