Chicken and Dumplings

This is a meal I love to make when it's cold and drizzly out. There is something comforting about the smell of the chicken cooking, and then biting into the tender fluffy dumpling. I'm giving you two dumpling recipes at the end-they are both good!

For the "soup"

2 tbls olive oil

4 uncooked chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup butter, unsalted

1/2 cup celery, small diced

1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced (I dislike onions, so I use a lot of onion powder instead)

1/2 cup carrot, small diced

6 tbls flour

2 cups chicken broth (more if needed)

1/2 cup frozen peas

In large dutch oven or heavy stock pot, preheat the olive oil on medium high heat. Dice the chicken breast into medium sized pieces and slowly add them to the oil. Add the thyme, salt, pepper,  and garlic powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through, but not brown. Remove and set aside.

To the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery, onions and carrots to the butter. Stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are slightly translucent (since I don't add onions I just cook it for 4-5 minutes, and make sure the carrots are starting to get tender). Next, add the flour and stir for 1 minute until the flour has completely absorbed the butter. Stir in the cooked chicken and slowly add the chicken stock. Make sure you stir while adding the stock to prevent the flour from causing lumps. Add the frozen peas.

In a separate bowl make your dumplings from one of the two recipes below, follow the steps for the dumpling of choice to finish your meal:

Bisquick Dumplings:

1 1/2 cup Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

Mix until well incorporated. Bring the soup to a boil, this is important for the dumplings to steam properly. Drop large tablespoons full of the dumpling batter into the boiling broth. Continue to boil for 10 minutes, uncovered. Cover the soup and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for an additional 10 minutes covered. Then, enjoy!

Thyme Creme Fraiche "Dumplins" from Food Wishes with Chef John:

1/2 cup Creme Fraiche (I used sour cream)

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tsp fresh chopped thyme leaves

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp fine table salt

Mix the creme fraiche, milk and eggs together, add the thyme. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the wet mixture and combine just until mixed. Do not over mix. It's okay to have some loose flour in the bowl. 

Drop in simmering soup mixture. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!