Cold weather calls for chicken and dumplings
When the weather is cold and rainy, the one thing I crave most
is a warm bowl of soup or stew. My favorite go-to winter dish for
cold, rainy weekend is a hot pot of my family’s homemade chicken
soup.
We haven’t made the traditional chicken soup yet this season,
but on a rainy Sunday night a few weeks ago we tried out chicken
and dumplings. I’d never made it before and I was a little
skeptical that biscuit dough dumped in a boiling pot of stew would
actually turn out tasty. But I found a recipe online from Rachael
Ray, a quick 30-minute meal that would be as easy to make on a
weeknight as on a weekday.
Cold weather calls for chicken and dumplings
When the weather is cold and rainy, the one thing I crave most is a warm bowl of soup or stew. My favorite go-to winter dish for cold, rainy weekend is a hot pot of my family’s homemade chicken soup.
We haven’t made the traditional chicken soup yet this season, but on a rainy Sunday night a few weeks ago we tried out chicken and dumplings. I’d never made it before and I was a little skeptical that biscuit dough dumped in a boiling pot of stew would actually turn out tasty. But I found a recipe online from Rachael Ray, a quick 30-minute meal that would be as easy to make on a weeknight as on a weekday.
I cooked up the vegetables, the chicken boiled to tenderness in the broth and then the biscuit dough went in for about nine minutes. The dumplings did not turn out like mush, but steamed to perfection with the lid on the pot. They floated on the top of the stew and remained moist even when warmed up for leftovers the next day.
The recipe is one I will use again, but before then I have plans to make a pot of homemade chicken soup.
Chicken and Dumplings
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast tenders
1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tbsp. butter
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
2 tbsp. flour, a handful
1 qt. chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container, preferred brand Kitchen Basics
1 small box biscuit mix (preferred brand Jiffy Mix)
1/2 c. warm water
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 c. frozen green peas
Dice tenders into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.
Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.
Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup warm water and parsley. Drop tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly. Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Stir peas into the pan, remove chicken and dumplings from heat and serve in shallow bowls.
Homemade chicken soup
32 oz. chicken broth
16 oz. water
2-8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken half breasts
2 turnips
2 rutabagas
1 c. baby carrots
1 stalk celery
1 onion, chopped
1 box pasta of choice (small shells or orzo work well)
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Bring broth and tomato sauce to a boil and add chicken. Reduce to a simmer and cook for two and half hours. Add onions, celery, and rutabagas. Cook for half an hour. Add turnips and carrots. Continue to cook until all vegetables are soft, about 45 min. to an hour.
Remove vegetables and chicken to a strainer. Bring soup to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to package directions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once pasta is al dente, serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
If planning to use the soup for more than one meal, use a smaller pot of broth to cook the pasta as the starch released in the pasta will thicken the soup by the next day.
The vegetables can be served on the side, as below and the chicken breast can be used to make chicken salad.
Homemade chicken salad
4 cooked chicken half-breasts (from the soup pot)
½ c. onions, chopped
½ c. celery, chopped
¾ c. mayonnaise, or to taste
Salt and pepper
1 loaf wheat bread
In a food processor, chop up the chicken finely. In a bowl mix the chicken, onions, celery and mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread on toasted wheat bread.
Mashed vegetables
After turnips, rutabagas and carrots are drained from the soup, mash them together with butter, salt and pepper to taste, adding a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Onions and celery, used for flavor in the soup are often too mushy after cooking for so long, but feel free to add those as well.
