Amy’s Chicken and Dumplings

S As a kid, a warmed up can of chicken and dumplings was one of my favorite comfort meals! But now, as an adult, the processed stuff just doesn't hit right. This homemade version is comforting AF and will definitely fill you up.

PS: Don't be intimidated by the dough!

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Ingredients

Dumplings:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup butter, COLD and diced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Soup:

• 1 onion, diced in big pieces

• 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped to bite-sized pieces

• 2-3 carrots, chopped to bite-sized pieces

• 3 Lbs of chicken (use a mix of breast and thigh for the best flavor!)

• 1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried Thyme)

• 1 bay leaf

• 8 cups of chicken stock

• a generous helping of chopped parsley for freshness and color

• salt and black pepper to taste

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1. Use a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and butter. Once melted and combined, add the onions. Stir and saute for a few minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the carrots and celery and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes more.

2. Add the chicken pieces, Thyme, bay leaf, and broth to the pot. Do a quick seasoning here of salt and pepper to flavor the chicken while it cooks. Stir and bring to a boil.

3. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

4. While the pot simmers, prep the dumplings:

   - In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk

   - Add the diced butter and use a pastry blender or large fork to mash the mixture together (You want it to look like dry oatmeal).

   - Pour in the buttermilk and use your hand to combine.

   - When it's mostly smooth and has come together, form it into a ball and give it a few kneads.

   - From here, you can either roll the dough out flat on a floured surface and use a knife to cut into bite sized pieces -or- tear of lil pieces and roll 'em into balls.

5. Remove the chicken pieces from the soup once they are fully cooked and set aside to rest.

6. Drop the dumplings into the soup. Give 'em a gentle little stir so they don't stick together. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 8-10 minutes (depends on the size of your dumplings; bigger=more time)

7. While the dumplings are cooking, use 2 forks to shred the chicken.

8. Once the dumplings have steamed and firmed up, add the chicken back in, as well as the parsley.

9. Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings. The broth will thicken into gravy and you're ready to serve!