Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker; Welcome back Fall!

Here's to the beginning  of what hopes to be a wonderful blogging hobby.


    What better way to start out than a hearty crockpot full of homemade chicken and dumplings?
Here in Phoenix, Arizona it doesnt get extremely cold. Although, we still enjoy home cooked hearty meals like the rest of the country. Where leaves actually change color and people practically need parkas in the winter. I mean last year we did get a frozen slush like rain, but I wouldnt count it as much. We dont get snow days here. Just heat advisories. We're in late October, the high today is 90 with a low of 64, but hey we call that fall here.

  Originally I had wanted chicken pot pie, but my finance isnt very found of them. (Probably because he is thinking about those gross microwave ones.) After talking I decided chicken and dumplings would hit the spot and its something he likes. So I decided to do more of a deconstructed chicken pot pie, if you will. I found lots of crock pot recipes for it online but most of them called for one or more "cream of" whatever soups. Those have lots of salt and my grass obsessed fiance eats to much of that as it is. So, I kind of aim to cut it out where ever i can.(especially if he doesnt know about it.) So I opted to just make a "cream of chicken soup" myself. Heres the recipe for that.

Homemade Cream O' Chicken Soup!


Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 cups
Makes about 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup.

  • 2½ cups chicken broth (I mixed homemade stock i had on hand with about a cup of store bought)
  • 1½ cups milk
  • ¾ cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon seasonings (i skipped this since the broth i made was seasoned with about a table spoon of dill, onion powder, garlic powder, and a dash of white pepper. but feel free to make it your own.the bay leaf in the photo wasnt use but easily could be. just remember to take it out before you serve it.)
Instructions
  1. Mix the chicken broth and ½ cup of the milk in a  saucepan. Bring to a slight boil.
  2. While thats going, in a small bowl, whisk the flour and seasonings into the leftover cup of milk until a lumps are gone (atleast mostly) and a thick mixture forms.




 3.Pour the flour and milk stuff into the saucepan with the broth and milk over low heat, stir nonstop. (Seriously do not stop or it will get too thick especially on the bottom. So mix for your life!) Simmer and stir until it is smooth and thick, 5-10 minutes. (It will thicken up as it cools down.)


That can be substituted for just about any cream of chicken. It saves you from lots of the junk that goes into canned soup and for just a few cents for two cans rather than the $1.19-&1.79 Per-Can at grocery stores. Plus its stuff you most likely already have on hand anyways.

Onto this Chicken and dumplings Ive been craving for a week now.

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dumplings!

adapted from polishthestars

Ingredients:
1.5lb of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (I used 4 big ones)
2 cans (10.5oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup(Homemade recipe above)
2-3cans or one pour box of Chicken Broth (again i went homemade,
you could try reduced sodium as well)
1dollop of butter
1 medium White Onion, diced
2 Celery stalked trimmed and sliced to desired thinness
2Large Carrots(washed)
2cloves garlic(or garlic powder)
preferred seasonings

4 Large Flaky Refrigerator Biscuits (half a can)

1.Place chicken in crock pot with the carrots, mine was frozen solid. 
2.Pour the cream of chicken over the chicken in the slow-cooker.
 3.Saute the onions, celery, and garlic in the dollop of butter until onions become translucent.

 4.Add the chicken broth to the veggies, add your seasonings, (I used a dash of cayenne, a small sprinkle of white pepper, and a dash of dill) bring just to a simmer for 2-3mins. (see that tasty dill? mmmm)




















5.Once its done pour it in the crock pot on top of everything else. (I put the carrots in here, because i forgot to earlier)  Cook on High for 4-6 hours or Low for 8 hours.  Do not stir for the first few hours while cooking. (You add cooking time every time you open your crockpot. I know its tough, try to refrain! Might I add that the house smells amazing!)










6. Next step is 45 mins before its done,
Cut each uncooked biscuit into nickel sized piece and toss them with a little flour to prevent them from sticking together.



















7.Pour your second can of chicken broth into your slow-cooker. Shred your chicken with a spatula or take it out and shred it with two forks if it isnt tender enough for the spatula (mine was). Drop the flour coated biscuit pieces into your crockpot and stir. cover and turn up to high if you were cooking on low. It should only take about 30-45 mins to cook from here.  (Sorry the picture is dark. First try, I'll get better)


Serve hot, sprinkle on a little salt (it really isn't needed IMHO) or if you're like me, a couple dashes and then some of fresh cracked black pepper.
Makes about 6-8 servings.







Dinners eaten, dishes are clean and put away!

I can Happily say that the craving spot got hit. Perfectly hearty, thick, and rich! The Biscuit dumpling cheat wasn't the best road to take on this one. It wasnt bad but I prefer the thick pillowy dumplings like mom makes. They were good but reminded me more of cracker barrel dumplings or a gnocchi almost. Either way it was quite tastey. Even my fiance was please. Though he isnt usually too picky but a chicken dish with his approval is a good thing! I am the picky one and I ate two bowls and normally I hardly finish a first. Will keep great for a later breakfast with my coffee tomorrow morning! Time to call it a blog, I've got a sugar coated honey drizzled piece of indian fry bread with my name all over it! Can't type with honey-hands! Thanks for reading!
-Mandy

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