Hearty Chicken and Dumplings (Crockpot)

One of my college roommates shared this recipe on Facebook and I had several people ask me to share it with them.  Anything in the crockpot is a winner in my book!  She has 4 kids and claims this is their favorite meal.

Hearty Chicken & Dumplings

2 cans cream of chicken soup...
2 14 1/2 oz. cans chicken broth
1/2 onion, diced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

dumplings:
2 tubes refrigerated biscuits, quartered OR
I use the dumpling recipe from the Bisquick box and drop by teaspoons.

Combine first 3 ingredients in slow cooker. Add chicken; cover and cook on high for 6 hours. During the last hour of cooking remove chicken and shred; return to slow cooker. Then add dumplings to chicken mixture; stir to coat. Cover and cook on high for one hour.

Don't worry if the broth doesn't seem thick enough. Once the dumplings are done, it will be. Enjoy!!


KStorm's Notes:  I used a 32 ounce box of Chicken Broth and cooked it on high...cooked very quickly for me.  I used thigh meat and it shredded itself...easy.  Then, my crockpot is a 6 quart and everything is more spread out...makes it cook a little faster.  I added a 1/4 water before I placed the biscuits on top.  I used one large can rather than 2 small cans.

Now, this may not be authentic but it is easy and my picky kids really liked it.  I guess you could add celery or carrots to it but then my kids would have picked them out.  They prefer raw veggies.  Not to mention that some of us like the taste of "stick to your ribs food" but like convenience of a crockpot!

Chicken and Cheese Hoagie Melt

1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 T dried parsely
2 cups medium shredded cheese
Black Pepper to taste
Black Olives, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place french bread on large baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients together in a bowl. Spread topping evenly on top of both lengths of french bread.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

***This was a hit with my family. Easy supper idea. I left out the onions and black olives to make it more kid friendly for my family. I used fat free sour cream to make it a little less fattening. I also broiled it for about 2 minutes after baking to make the topping a little crispy.

Squash Casserole

1 1/2 lbs of yellow squash, sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 grated carrot
1 grated onion
2 cups Pepperidge Farm Dressing Mix

Boil squash until tender, drain.

Mix squash with rest of the ingredients.

Melt 1 stick of butter and mix 2 cups Pepperidge Farm Dressing mix.

Spread on top of squash in casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

***This is a favorite among my extended family. It's typically served at some of our gatherings. Super easy.

Chocolate Cobbler

1 stick butter
1 1/2 c. self rising flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. water
6 tsp cocoa

Pre-heat oven to 350. Melt stick of butter in deep corning dish. Mix flour, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and milk. Pour into butter. Mix 1 cup sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle over everything in corning dish. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

***I got this recipe from my cousin. It is delish. It's a good "go to" for a unique dessert.

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, minced
2 cans shoe peg corn, drained
2 cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can mild rotel tomatoes
1 can red beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 pkg taco seasoning
2 pkg ranch dressing mix

Brown ground beef and onions together. Drain and rinse. Add other ingredients and simmer.

****This is just 1 of many taco soup recipes. This makes alot but freezes well.

Marinated Eye of Round

1 (5lb) Eye of Round Roast
1/4 c. salad oil
2 T. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce

Marinate roast in mixture of the next 6 ingredients for 1 to 3 days, turning at least once a day. Cook uncovered with marinade in a Dutch oven @ 250 for 3 hours. Refrigerate overnight. Slice thin and serve with heated marinade. Freezes well. Serves 10 to 15

****My mom fixes this for Sunday lunch to give a different twist to an average roast. This recipe is also great for a buffet style lunch or supper when serving company.

****This does not have to be cooked in a Dutch oven. It can be cooked just as well in a roaster.

She found this recipe in her Southern Sideboards recipe book.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 large fryer, cut up
1 can cream of chicken
1 can chicken broth
3 T. butter
salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 box Betty Crocker pie crust mix
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup milk

Place chicken in large boiler and cover with large amount of water. Cook slowly til chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth and debone. Add to water: soup, broth, butter, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to simmer (slow boil) while preparing the dumplings. Add chicken back to the broth.

Blend pie crust mix and flour in mixing bowl with enough ice water to form dough. Roll out as pie crust. Cut into 1 to 2 inch squares. Bring broth back to a fast boil and drop in squares of dough. Boil for 5 minutes then add milk and cook for 3 minutes.

***This is my mom's recipe. A few "recipe secrets" to making great chicken and dumplings....she says that using chicken with a bone helps add flavor. (I sometimes just use chicken breasts but have used chicken legs and thighs since I don't know how to cut up a whole chicken). She also adds about 1 tsp of Spice Island Chicken Stock Base. This is a rather expensive ingredient found with the spices. I can only find it at Kroger.

Oh...if you aren't used to making chicken and dumplings or trying to attempt it for the 1st time...don't get discouraged. It most likely will not turn out exactly how you pictured. I've been told and I have experienced that the Southern art of cooking "real" chicken and dumplings comes with practice and many attempts that have sometimes failed. The first time I cooked Chicken and Dumplings...it seemed that my dumplings just disappeared not to be found anywhere in the broth. I called my mom with panic and she responded, "They haven't dissappeared...they've got be in there somewhere." I spooned a ladleful into a bowl for one of my sons, to which he responded, "Mamma, where are the dumplings?" My mom still on the other end of the phone just laughed. "See, I told you they dissappeared, Mamma." To this day, I don't know what happened to them. There were a few but not as many squares I thought I had put in there. So, keep trying because once you've mastered this...your family will consider an expert cook just because you can make good ol' southern chicken and dumplings. You might not can cook any other meal, but here in the South, if you can cook chicken and dumplings...that's all that matters.

Chicken and Dumplings is an all time Southern favorite and the ultimate comfort food that is enjoyed year round but especially during the cold, wet winter months or when suffering with the Southern "crud".