How to make quick Chicken and Dumplings

This is a time saving method of making homestyle Chicken and Dumplings quickly and with a fraction of the work.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chicken Gravy mix
• 2 Ribs Celery
• Half of a medium onion, chopped
• Canned vegetables (optional)
• Biscuit mix
• Milk or Buttermilk
• Large pot or dutch oven with a lid
• 2-4 cans cooked, shredded chicken (drained)
• Spoon

1. Get your gravy cooking. This was learned from a southern style restaurant where I made the chicken and dumplings every week. You don't have to make your own chicken stock, just use chicken gravy packages. For a large batch, you will need to use 4 to 6 packages of gravy mix with the appropriate amount of water (follow the directions on the package). You will want to add about a cup of water or milk to this as well. Get that over a medium heat.

2. Chop your onion and celery and add it to the pot along with the canned chicken. Add any other raw veggies that you like at this time (carrots make a nice addition). Let this cook for about 15 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add more water or milk if it's getting too thick (should be like thin gravy).

3. Mix your dumplings. The biscuit mix box should have a dumpling recipe on it. This usually is 1 cup mix and 1/3 cup milk (or buttermilk). You will probably want to double or triple this depending on how many dumplings you want. You can substitute some of the milk with chicken gravy or stock for flavor, but not more than half milk, half gravy.

4. Add canned vegetables, like peas or canned carrots, to your gravy and thin it out with water if it's getting too thick. Addition of more than onions and celery is optional though.

5. Once the gravy is back to a simmer, spoon in the dumplings. It helps to dip the spoon in the gravy before scooping so the dough doesn't stick. Don't use too much (scoop should be smaller than a fortune cookie) because the dumplings will plump when cooked and a large one may not get cooked in the center.

6. Cover the pot loosely (leave some ventilation) and keep an eye on it to prevent it from boiling over. After 4 minutes, take off the lid and turn the dumplings over with a spoon. After 4 to 6 more minutes your dumplings should be done.

Tips & Warnings

• Dipping the spoon in gravy helps keep the dumplings from sticking to the spoon.
• Don't overcrowd your pot. Make batches if you have too much dough to fit.
• Don't underestimate the dumpling's ability to increase in size. 6 or 8 dumplings will cover the surface of most larger pots once cooked.
• This can be served in a bowl or with the gravy spooned over mashed potatoes and dumplings on the side.
• Be careful of boil-overs. Gravy can and will boil over if left covered too long.
• Don't burn yourself on the stove or hot gravy.
• When turning the dumplings, just push down on one side and they will flip themselves. Don't lift them or you may splatter gravy on yourself and get burned.