The Wannabe Chef: Chicken & Dumplings

Ahh, one of my ultimate comfort foods…chicken and dumplings. I’ve written about this southern staple for my Roanoker food column (found in Notes & Comment in each issue). But this time, I found a recipe for the slow cooker and added a few ingredients to make it my own. Dinner ready when I get home from work? Yes, please.

This version has many ingredients you’d expect: chicken and dumplings – of course – carrots and celery. But it also incorporates potatoes and a mixture of herbs that take the flavor of the broth and dumplings to a new level. The only thing I like about cold weather is the chance to enjoy a meal like this to warm me up.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 15 oz. chicken broth
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 medium potato, diced
  • ½ cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 Tbl. butter
  • 2 cups Bisquick
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 1 ¼ tsp. thyme, divided
  • 1 ¼ tsp. sage, divided
  • ¼ cup half and half

Place chicken and vegetables in slow cooker. Add salt, pepper, butter, chicken broth and 1 tsp. each of thyme and sage. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces. Put back in slow cooker. Add half and half.

Mix Bisquick, ¼ tsp. each of thyme and sage, and milk. Drop by spoonfuls into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes more.

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