Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

This recipe is from our food blogger friend The Tipsy Housewife

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of Diced Celery
• 2 Cups of Diced Carrots
• 1 Cup of Diced Onion
• 6 to 8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 2 Cartons of Chicken Stock, About 8 Cups
• 1 T of Salt
• 2 T of Black Pepper
• 2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed
• 1 Stick of Salted Butter + 3 Tablespoons
• 1 Handful of  Fresh Thyme, I used Lemon Thyme from my garden
• 1 Handful of Fresh Parsley
• 1 Package of Chateau Potato Dumplings, Large
• Good Quality Parmesan
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Steps

I have a crockpot that has a sauté setting for the next step. If you do not, I would recommend giving the carrots, onion, celery and garlic a stir around a frying pan in some butter before adding this to your crock. If you don’t have time, don’t let it dissuade you from making it. The recipe will still be great, just make time the next time to take this extra step. You can also roast the carrots, celery, onion and garlic in the oven for about 20 minutes before adding to the pot. Below are the steps for using a crockpot. I will add modifications for a stove top at the end.

• Set crock pot to sauté, add your stick of butter and let it melt.
• When your butter is melted, add your celery, onions, carrots and garlic and cook until they are semi soft.
• While your veggies sauté, salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs and then add them to the crock pot when the veggies are semi soft.
• Add in the handfuls of the herbs and the two cartons of chicken stock.
• I set my crock pot to 12 hours and let it cook overnight, or all day if I start it early in the morning.

**If you are cooking on the stove, you can follow the same steps and bring your pot to a boil and set the burner to low and let the soup simmer 6 to 8 hours on the stove, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is burning on the bottom.

• When the broth is finished, I let it cool a little and settle and I take a small measuring cup and skim off some of the fat on the top. Remember you added butter so there will be some fat. If this does not bother you then leave it.
• I then strain out all the chicken and veggies by placing a strainer over a bowl and I discard the veggies, herbs and chicken. All the nutrients have been leached out into your broth so the flavors are IN the broth. You are more than welcome to leave them in or pick out the chicken and add it back to your broth.
• If you want to discard some of the fat you can let the broth sit in the fridge overnight in the bowl. The fat will rise and harden on the top and you can lift it off, but we leave it the way it is.
• Next, boil your dumplings. When the dumplings are finished cooking, drain it and add the 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot and toss the dumplings in it.
• To plate this dish simply add the dumplings and cooked pasta if you wish to the bowls, as much or as little as you wish. I use about a ladle or two full of the broth on top of the pasta and then I top it with fresh parmesan and lots and lots of black pepper. The dumplings should not be floating in the broth, add just enough broth so you get a little bit with each bite.

You can find us at your local Mariano’s in the frozen food section!