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Easy Chicken & Dumplings where Dumplings Make Themselves

November 7, 2019 by WinterPrime

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Chicken & Dumplings - with Dumplings That Make Themselves

I love chicken & dumplings. I crave chicken & dumplings. Before finding this recipe, I could not make chicken & dumplings that were worth eating. And I have to be honest, OK — I just don’t want to spend time rolling out dough for dumplings. I want simple … I want tasty … I want dumplings … I want creamy chicken gravy … and I want it NOW!

I started out with a recipe I found by Brandie over at The Country Cook.net and her article shows that she got it from Stacey at SouthernBite.com – it’s apparently in Stacey’s cookbook because I couldn’t find it on their website. So this recipe, in one variation or another, has been tested and enjoyed by a lot of people. Thank you to both Brandie and Stacey for posting this recipe — I can now go into my chicken-n-dumplings coma after eating waaaaay to much for dinner (or lunch … heck, it’s even good for breakfast)!

I do a lot of pressure canning. So I always have canned chicken and canned chicken broth on hand. The recipe can use either raw chicken, leftover chicken or canned chicken – whatever you happen to have on hand. You can use store bought chicken broth, chicken bouillon or homemade chicken broth. In my opinion, you will get a deeper, richer flavor when using homemade chicken broth. My chicken broth is almost as dark brown as my beef broth, so it’s very tasty. I like using my canned chicken & broth because all I have to do is open the jars and dinner is almost ready.

The original recipe called for fresh onions and celery and the first couple of times I made this recipe, I added them. I once also added some frozen corn. Then I made the recipe when I didn’t have any celery and so I left it out and we didn’t miss the celery — in fact we liked it better. The next time I was craving chicken & dumplings I was out of both onions and celery (how that happened, I’ll never know — I’d blame someone else … even the dog, but we don’t have one)!! So I made the recipe without adding onions or celery BUT kept the butter. That’s when I knew I had found the perfect combination of savory chicken, glorious buttery, chickeny (is that even a word?) sauce and slightly chewy dumplings that were also a bit fluffy. YUM!

I am not even a bit ashamed to say that I make this recipe about once a week or so. It’s one of those meals that I doubt I’ll ever get tired of AND it’s so easy to make.

Here’s what I like about it is:

  • I can bake it in a single casserole dish
  • I can mix everything (except the chicken) up in a single bowl using the same whisk & spatula — saving clean up
  • It’s virtually dump and bake!!
  • When using leftover chicken, this recipe can be whipped up in under 10 minutes and be on the table in about an hour.
  • The dumplings make themselves!!! YAY! No rolling or spooning or dropping. Trust me, they taste like they took a lot of time & effort.
  • DO NOT STIR mixtures after they are poured into the casserole dish. Once the mixtures hit the casserole dish, everything is HANDS-OFF. If you stir, you’ll ruin your dumplings. Don’t make me smack you with a wooden spoon!

Want the BEST reason to try this recipe?? It will feed 4 people for about $2.00 if made with margarine and homemade broth (either home-canned or from when you cooked the chicken) or bouillon and just under $3.00 if you are using dairy butter and store-bought chicken broth. When I make this using both my home-pressure-canned chicken & chicken broth, my cost per recipe is roughly $1.50. This recipe can also easily be doubled and the cook time stays about the same.

Chicken-Dumpling-Ingredients

Costs based on purchased made in November, 2019 from Walmart:

  • $0.50 – 1 can Great Value cream of chicken soup
  • $0.13 – 1 cup whole milk
  • $0.07 – 1 cup Great Value self rising flour
  • $1.20 – 2 cups chicken meat (less if home-pressure-canned)
  • $0.05 or $0.61 – 2 cups homemade or store-bought broth
  • $0.13 or $0.46 – 2 tbsp margarine or butter

TOTAL RECIPE: $2.01 to $2.97

If you are starting with raw chicken pieces (breast or thighs are best), you can use a medium pot on the stove . If you boil the chicken, use at least 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water in the pot and cook the chicken until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender.

When I cook chicken in the Instant Pot, I use 1-1/2 cups water and cook on Manual for 25-30 minutes and then do a natural release so the chicken doesn’t end up tough. When the chicken is done, you should have 2 cups of chicken broth in the bottom of the pot, so you won’t have to use store-bought unless you just prefer to. Remove meat from the pot and chop or shred. Reserve 2 cups of the broth.

Preheat your oven and place 2 tbsp of butter in your casserole dish and set in the oven to melt.

While the butter is melting, get out a medium sized bowl and a whisk. Mix your self-rising flour and milk until all the lumps are gone and the mixture is silky smooth.

A NOTE ABOUT SELF-RISING FLOUR: Buy a bag … just do it. The convenience is worth it, so is the taste. And that’s coming from someone who’s never … NEVER owned a bag of self-rising flour in her life … until I started using this recipe. Now, I won’t be caught without it. (I’ll show other recipes that use self-rising flour — like Cuppa Cuppa Cake — those will be coming soon). Buy . self-rising . flour.

Using oven mitts (the casserole dish will be hot), pull the dish with melted butter out of the oven. Sprinkle your chopped or shredded chicken evenly over the butter.

Chicken & Dumplings-Dumplings Layer

Pour the flour/milk mixture evenly over the chicken & butter. Use a spatula/spoon to get all of the mixture out of the bowl. DO NOT MIX!

In the same bowl, combine your cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. Mix well using a whisk. Pour mixture evenly on top of flour/milk mixture. Use the spatula to scrap out everything. DO NOT MIX!!

Chicken & Dumplings - Gravy Layer

Now, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me. Using oven mitts, place the casserole dish back in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes.

DO NOT MIX!
Do not complicate this recipe
Put it in the oven and walk away

Chicken & Dumplings - Ready for the  Oven

The dumplings will make themselves while you are off doing other important things — like relaxing, playing with the kids or dogs, having a glass of wine with friends or The Hubster.

When the timer goes off, you will have country chicken & dumplings so good that they will put you into a coma of buttery, creamy chicken & dumplings goodness.

Chicken & Dumplings - Out of the Oven

Serve in a big bowl and enjoy!!

Chicken & Dumplings - Grab a Bowl & Dig in!

Easy Chicken & Dumplings where Dumplings Make Themselves

Winter!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Comfort Food
Servings 9 x13 pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups diced or shredded chicken meat
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  • Place butter in a 9×13 baking dish and put in the heated oven until the butter melts.
  • Remove pan from oven and add the diced/shredded chicken in a layer on top of the melted butter.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine self-rising flour with milk. Pour this mixture over chicken (do not stir the layers.) Use a spatula to scrape out all the mixture.
  • In the same bowl, combine the chicken broth with the cream of chicken soup.
  • Pour this mixture over the chicken. Do NOT mix the layers.
  • Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the dumplings are set and the gravy is bubbly.

Notes

This recipe can be doubled - cooking time remains the same.

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Chicken & Dumplings - Instagram

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chicken & dumplings - Where dumplings make themselves - Pinterest

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Meet Winter! Winter from Comfort and Yum!
I love all things comfy & crafty -- a sizzling steak or maybe a pot roast cooking away in the instant pot. I'd never say "no" to an evening with a good book & fuzzy slippers snuggling under a quilt. I'm a designer who loves to create beautiful things ... yep, I'm a proud craft-a-holic who's forever dipping my fingers into different crafty pies. If it's sparkly, involves digital papers, junk journaling, tumblers, glitter or epoxy ... I'm THERE!

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