Leftover chicken makes a homemade chicken & dumplings dish quick and easy! Lots of chicken & pillowy dumplings in a thick sauce. Yum! And really, does it get any better than homemade chicken & dumplings? #TexasHomesteader
Combine flour, baking powder, thyme, salt & pepper. Cut in shortening, add milk and knead until all ingredients are combined to make a stiff dough. Set aside.
In a medium-large stock pot bring broth to a boil and add prepared onion, carrot and celery.
When broth is simmering start dropping in dumplings by pinching off 1-teaspoon dumpling dough, rolling into a small ball and pressing the dough ball between palms to flatten slightly. Drop dumplings into simmering broth.
When all dumplings are in the broth stir gently, cover pot and simmer for 12-15 minutes, depending upon the size and thickness of your dumplings.
If broth is not thick enough after the dumplings are fully cooked, mix up about 1/4 cup of flour with enough water or broth to make a thin paste & stir slurry until no flour lumps remain. Then pour into simmering broth and stir very gently just to incorporate thickening and keep dumplings from sticking to the pan.
When broth is as thick as you want, add the diced cooked chicken and heat a few minutes more until heated through.
Optional Add-In's:
Thicken Broth: To thicken broth after the dumplings are cooked, mix 1/4 cup of flour with enough water or broth to make a thin paste & stir slurry until no lumps remain. Then pour into simmering broth and stir very gently just to incorporate thickening and keep dumplings from sticking to the pan.
Add a drained can of peas & carrots. I like the colors & textures when they're included.
Add a clove of pressed garlic or 1/4 teaspoon in your broth or in your dumplings.
Bump the seasoning by adding dry or fresh herbs in the broth:
½ teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon basil and/or
¼ teaspoon sage (add toward the end so the broth doesn't bubble seasonings onto the sides of your soup pot while simmering.)