Perfect Chicken and Dumplings

Hi everyone! I know everyone who makes chicken and dumplings probably has their own recipe. My grandmother and my mother made chicken and dumplings that used whole pieces of chicken and the dumpling were the kind you dropped by scoopfuls into the boiling broth. The dumplings had nutmeg in them. This almost ruined me for life. For two reasons: I dont like any kind of fat or gristle in my soup. And, I dont like mushy bread in there either. So I worked on my chicken and dumplings because I knew this could be a good soup. Now, I have been making it like this for 10 years or more. My kids usually eat all the dumplings out of it first. They really are the best part. In my mind, this is what the perfect chicken and dumplings are.

This is the ingredients you need to make the savory broth. The pic is awful but it has chicken breasts, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, carrots celery and of course the obligatory missing ingredient. Onion. I promise I will start thinking these pics through.



Put your chicken, chopped onion and celery, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and a Knorr chicken boullion cube.

After cooking this for about 45 minutes you will end up with rich, delicious broth. Remove chicken and coursely chop your carrots. When the chicken has cooled a bit, chop into bite sized pieces.
Add chicken and carrots back to the broth and simmer about 15 minutes.

Here are your ingredients for the dumplings. Guess What!! They are all there. Flour, milk, baking powder, salt, and shortening.

Cut your shortening into the flour, baking powder and salt until its crumbly.

It should look like this.


Add your milk and work into a soft dough.




Put dough on a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.





Cut into little strips, whatever size you like. or circles or use a heart cookie cutter. Whatever feels right. Ha!


Place these on a plate. Meanwhile, back at the stove, get your broth to a good boil.

Like this.


Drop dumplings in one at a time and let boil for a bout 10 minutes. Most of the time I put the lid on about halfway. I dont completely cover it.

Ta Da! They are ready to eat.

Warning: You will crave this, even in the summer.

Question: Do ya'll make a bread to eat with your chicken and dumplings or is the dumpling considered the bread? We have a "discussion" about it everytime I make it.