Chicken & Dumplings

Scott and I have a good thing going when it comes to preparing Slow Cooker meals. I get to package up the prepped ingredients in little containers with a brief instruction Post-It. And, Scott gets to "make dinner."

I've never had chicken and dumplings before and I saw several post-ers with it on their menus the past couple weeks on my Weekly Menu Blog. I found a Slow Cooker version, but I made a few changes:
- I decreased the amount of liquid
Many commenters said they preferred a thicker sauce
- I cooked the biscuits separately and let them soak up the sauce
The recipe says to cook the biscuits in the slow cooker for the last hour....I don't have that kind of time!


The verdict: It was pretty good! We both liked it a lot. I make a pretty mean Chicken Pot Pie and this was very similar. This is an "empty out the fresh/frozen vegetable bin" recipe. The more veggies, the better! I emptied out 3 bags that were languishing in the freezer. It comes together faster than a pot pie....and can be cooking all day in the slow cooker! I'll hang on to this recipe for a good winter, comfort food. But, I probably won't make it a "go-to" recipe.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup
from A Year in Slow Cooking

Makes 4-6 servings

3 chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
16 ounces frozen vegetables
2 cans cream-of-something soup, or combine in a saucepan:
4 T butter
6 T flour
3/4 cup milk (I used soy)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp basil or oregano
1 can refrigerated biscuits, or one batch drop biscuits

Put the chicken and vegetables into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the soups (or homemade substitute). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5.

If you're pressed for time:
Cook biscuits according to the package directions. In the meantime, shred chicken and turn on high with the cover off. Put finished bisquits in slow cooker for 10 minutes to soak up the sauce.

If you have time:
An hour before serving, shred chicken with two large forks, and drop in the biscuit dough. Cover and cook on high for another hour. The biscuits are done when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. They will be spongy and will brown a bit on the sides and top.

Serve in bowls, with a biscuit or two per person.