Chicken and Dumplings

This one started out as something that I coworker brought in to work and I asked for her recipe. Mine is significantly different, so I can't even say it is a version of the original recipe!

(you can substitute 4 cups of cooked chicken and 8 2/3 cups of broth if you do not want to make your own broth - but be warned that it may be a bit salty)


1 whole chicken
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chunked
6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or equivalent of the granular)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (or one chicken and 1 celery)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 egg
1 tea. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Cook chicken in water with celery and onion until done. Cool chicken and removed bones and skin and tear into bite sized pieces. Chop and reserve celery and onion if desired. Reserve 8 2/3 cups of broth.

In a dutch oven, combine the 8 cups of chicken broth and carrots and heat to boiling. Add soups and bouillon cubes.

While this is heating, make the dumplings by combining the remaining 2/3 cup of chicken broth and the egg. Add the flour and baking powder and stir to a stiff dough. Add more flour or broth if needed.

Roll dough thin on a flour coated surface and cut into dumplings. The get quite a bit bigger when they are cooked, so I keep mine someone where in the 1 - 1 1/2 inch by 1/2 - 3/4 inch range. Drop dumplings into boiling broth. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until dumpling are done. Add chicken, celery and onions and cook for 5 minutes more.

Notes:
This is one of my favorite fall/winter dishes. It is hardy and very warming. Great with some cinnamon applesauce on the side.

It keeps very well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.