How to make Traditional Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings

Don't have all day? Normally, to make true chicken and dumplings would take all day. This method takes about 2 hours, give or take. A true family favorite, year round!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 4 chicken thighs, skin on!
• 1 chicken breast (can be boneless and skinless)
• onion powder
• thyme
• salt
• 2 cups flour
• baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 4 TBS Crisco
• 2 TBS corn starch
• 3 quart (or bigger) stock pot with lid

1. Put the chicken in the pot and cover with water, set to boil and put the lid on. Add the onion powder (one tsp should be enough, or to taste) and Thyme (1/2 teaspoon). Boil until the chicken is tender and cooked through. This should take about 30-40 minutes.
2. Take out the chicken and let it cool down a bit.
3. Remove the skin and bone and set aside. Clean the chicken and place all fat with the skin and bones.
4. Put the skin and bones and fat back in the pot and boil that while you finish with the chicken.
5. Finish cleaning the chicken and cutting it into bite sized pieces.
6. While the chicken stock is boiling it is time to make some dumplings!
7. Mix 2 cups of flour with two tsp of baking powder and one tsp of salt. Add 4 tbs of shortening and blend it, I do this by hand, until the mix looks like fine crumbs.
8. Add the cup of milk, one half at a time and mix until it is all moistened well.
9. Get the pan of chicken stock and bring it over to the sink, pour it through a strainer to take out all of the skin and bones. If you are using a 3 quart add water until it is 3/4 full and taste it to see if you need to add salt. Toss the chicken in and put back on the stove and bring it to a boil again.
10. Take the cornstarch and put it in a glass, add about 1/4 cup water and stir well. Stir this mix into the boiling chicken and stock until it thickens well and you can turn down the heat to about medium.
11. The stock and chicken gravy should be just at a boil, adjust the heat if need be (electric stoves are funny that way). Add spoonfuls of the dumpling mix, this is a tablespoon I am using. This mix should give you ten dumplings and I cook them 5 at a time.
12. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
13. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes.
14. Dish out servings and do another batch, just stir it well before starting the next batch!

Tips & Warnings

• Normally you would cook down a whole chicken, this works fine but if you use the thighs you get the best flavor and way less time!
• I like to get a large pack of thighs and cook something that needs the chicken but boil them down first and freeze the stock.
• You may spoil your family too much and they will expect you to make this a lot!