Chicken & Dumplings

Welcome to a new year!  I've been blogging for about a year now.  I hope that you found some interesting recipes over the last year and maybe learned a few things you didn't know before.   I'm going to try to include more pictures (and I'll try to update older posts with pictures, too).

Here's my ultimate comfort food for when I'm feeling down or sick.


Yum!  Get a big chicken and a couple cans of biscuits and you've got a great meal!  I set this at medium difficulty since it takes a bit of time to do - it's still easy, but lengthy on time.

Chicken & Dumplings (MizWasy Style)

1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)
12 oz bottle pale beer
2 cups water
12 baby carrots - 3 ribs celery, broken into 2 or 3 pieces - 1 unpeeled onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic smashed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
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1 bag (12 or 16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables (or peas/carrots or soup vegetables)
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken (or celery or mushroom)
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 stick butter/margarine
2 cans biscuits - 10 or 8 count (not flaky)
3 Tbsp flour
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I cook my chicken for this recipe in an electric pressure cooker.  It only takes 25-30 minutes to cook a whole chicken and it's fall apart, off the bone tender.  Plus the broth is awesome.  I like to cook the chicken the day before I make the dumplings.

Unwrap and wash/rinse chicken off - inside and out.  If yours has giblets, etc. you can save them for another use (freeze them) or toss them out (sometimes I cook them for the dogs).  I remove the skin, too, because it generates too much fat that I have to skim off my broth.  Toss carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and peppercorns into pot.  Next put in the chicken, add the beer and water, then set the PC for 25 or 30 minutes on high pressure (15 psi or 80 kpa depending on your model).

If using a regular stock pot, make sure the chicken is covered with liquid.  Cover pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer chicken until done (about 1 1/2 hours).  Remove chicken to a platter.  Strain broth through a mesh colander into a large bowl before pouring into container for the refrigerator.  Debone and remove fat from the chicken meat.  Place meat into a container for the refrigerator.  Put broth and meat into the refrigerator.

Next day, pull out the broth - remove the layer of congealed chicken fat from the top.  Place broth, vegetables, soup, salt, pepper and butter into a large kettle/pot (7-8 quart) over medium heat.  Use a whisk to stir the cream soup into the broth.  Bring to a bubble (almost a boil).  While it's heating, flatten out the biscuits and cut 10 count ones into 6 pieces (8 count ones into 8 or 12 pieces).  Dip the biscuit pieces into flour, making sure to coat well - then place onto a plate.  When all the biscuits have been coated and the broth is at a gentle boil, start dropping dough into broth.  DO NOT STIR!  If needed, just gently move dumplings away from the side so you can continue dropping in the rest of the dough pieces.  (This step may take some time, just don't stir and make sure they get under the surface of the broth.)





Chicken & Dumplings

While dumplings are bubbling away, take the chicken meat and chop into bite-size pieces.  Add chicken to the pot, but, remember, don't STIR, just gently push it below the dumplings.  Cook at a low boil for 25-40 minutes - making sure to scrape your spatula/spoonula across the bottom from time to time to ensure none of your vegetables are stuck there.  You can stir during the last 15-20 minutes or so, since the dumplings will be set by then.