Want chicken and dumplings in less than one hour? Here’s your recipe!

Quick Comfort Food

Nothing spells “comfort food” better than chicken and dumplings.

I remember my mom making this years ago. First she’d start with a stewing chicken (can you still get these?) and would let it simmer for a few hours so the liquid would get very tasty. Since stewing hens are somewhat tough, the long cooking was necessary to make it tender. This was one of those cook-all-day meals.

Nowadays, I don’t think anyone has the time to cook something all day. We all have hectic schedules plus, as I said before, I don’t think stewing hens are stocked in stores anymore. That’s where this recipe comes in handy. It was originally found by my late husband about 30 years ago in an old cookbook. It became a family favorite and I’ve been making it for many years now.

Use Good Stock

Since the chicken we get today is young and because of the relatively short cooking time, you have to use a very tasty stock so the gravy gets good flavor.

I personally prefer Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken–and I use the low-sodium variety–because it has a wonderful flavor because it’s real chicken. I use about 1/2 tablespoon per cup of water. Any good chicken “base” will be good so if you have a favorite brand, use that. “Base” is very concentrated liquid stock, FYI.

Easy Dumplings

While I’ve made genuine southern-style dumplings–and I love them–this recipe uses the standard baking mix ones. I give the recipe in the recipe card below which was on the side of my store-brand baking mix. Other mix’s recipes may vary, so use the one that is on your brand for the best results.

Just a word about the gravy–we preferred a thinner gravy with this so the dumplings would absorb a lot of it after it was plated. But if you like a thicker gravy, add an additional tablespoon of flour to the water.

The Recipe

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Quick Chicken And Dumplings

Homemade chicken and dumplings doesn't have to take all afternoon to make. This quick recipe comes together in less than an hour!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken and dumplings, chicken recipe, quick chicken and dumplings

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 809kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken cut up or equivalent parts
• 2 tbs butter
• 4 stalks celery cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup water

For the Dumplings:

• 1 2/3 cup baking mix like Jiffy or Bisquick
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tbs butter melted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat a large, deep skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add butter and when butter begins to sizzle, add the chicken, skin side down, and brown well. Turn chicken and brown on the other side.
• Add the stock, onion, celery, carrots and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
• Remove chicken and bay leaf. Mix the 3 tbs flour with the 1/2 cup water making sure there are no lumps. Stir into hot liquid and stir until thickened. Add the chicken back to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high so the liquid boils.
• To make dumplings: Combine the baking mix, milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Drop by tablespoons full onto boiling chicken and liquid. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 809kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 865mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 9571IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 4mg

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Perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. This chicken and dumplings made with southern-style dumplings will warm the cockles of your heart!

This was a dinner I used to make a lot when my husband was still alive because he really loved it.

I hadn’t made it in many years now because it was one of those meals I just ate too much, and yeah, was tired of it. Anyway, I like to experiment with food and eat lots of different things and try new things. Unfortunately, my husband’s outlook was not the same as mine, so when he was alive, I kept to more or less, “safe” dishes.

But recently, my friend Melissa from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen posted her crock pot version of southern chicken and dumplings in my Facebook Crock Pot group and it just looked SO good and I was intrigued by the flat dumplings. When I made this in the past, I used the baking mix recipe–and I might add I didn’t really care for it–but he’d eat it so….

The dumplings looked as if they had a chew factor involved and that’s something I really liked.  Plus Melissa is always telling me that even though I’m a Yankee through and through and with my Brooklyn NY roots, inside me lurks a little southern lady. I think she may be right about that!

I’m calling it “southern style,” because of the dumplings, but since I’m from southern Brooklyn, maybe it’s more that than from below the Mason-Dixon line, but whatever, it’s STILL delicious.

I use whole pieces of chicken–I don’t shred it. But feel free to do that if you want to make it more authentic. The base recipe is the one I always made in the past and I used to use parts. Actually the parts are easier because you don’t have to do the work of boning and shredding!

The gravy was thick enough from the dumplings cooking in it, at least for me, but if you want a thicker gravy, just mix 2 tbs of flour in 1 cup of water and add it to the gravy–bring it to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes to cook the flour.

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Southern-Style Chicken and Dumplings

Perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. This chicken and dumplings made with southern-style dumplings will warm the cockles of your heart!

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken and dumplings, southern style

Servings: 4

Calories: 793kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken cut up or 2-3 lbs chicken parts
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 3 ribs celery cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 1/2 cups water
• Dumplings:
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbs unsalted butter cut up in small pieces
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk

Instructions

• Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat
• Add the 2 tbs butter to the pan and melt.
• Add chicken, brown well on all sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
• Add the celery, onion, baby carrots and bay leaf to the pan and saute until onion just begins to get soft.
• Place the chicken back in the pan. Add stock cubes, and the water.
• Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare dumplings as follows:
• Place flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl; stir to combine.
• Add the flour and using a pastry blender, cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Gradually add the milk while stirring adding only enough milk to make a rollable dough.
• Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and knead a few times.
• Roll out dough so it's 1/4-inch thick.
• Using a pizza cutter (or a knife), cut dough into 1-inch squares (approximate)
• Let the cut dough remain on the floured surface so it dries slightly.
• When chicken is done, remove it from the pan and keep it warm.
• Bring the liquid to a boil and add the dumplings, stirring so they don't stick together.
• Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes, or until dumplings are done.
• Add chicken back to the pan if desired.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 793kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 1251mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5122IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 5mg

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Poor Man’s Dinner is named as such because years ago, bacon and sausage were cheap ingredients. It’s still a tasty and filling meal.

Everyone laughs at this meal’s name nowadays, but back in the Depression, these ingredients were very cheap. Someone remarked that if you’re poor, you can’t afford $7 for bacon–and that’s very true!

Anyway, no matter what it costs nowadays, it’s still a tasty and filling meal.

I used the cheddar kielbasa in this for more flavor, but regular will do.

Hearty, filling and comforting

Now comes a caveat with this recipe–which is why I give 2 recipes for the dumplings. And the dumplings are optional.

The original recipe that was given to me by a former co-worker, uses egg dumplings. They are rather dense and chewy. If you feel you wouldn’t appreciate that consistency, then good ole Bisquick dumplings will do you just fine. Actually, the Bisquick ones are easier since the others require boiling–with a method much like making matzo balls.  

If you don’t want either dumpling recipe, leave them out and add about 2 more cubed potatoes.  The dumplings are purely optional here.

Poor Man’s Dinner

• 16 oz kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced thin
• 4 large potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 slices bacon uncooked, diced
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 slices toasted white bread, crushed into crumbs
• (Optional) Dumplings #1:
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• enough water to form a stiff dough 
• (Optional) Dumplings #2:
• 2 cups baking mix
• 2/3 cup milk

Heat a large deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.


Add the kielbasa, cubed potatoes, chopped onion and diced bacon. Cook until bacon bits are crispy.


Add the water, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until potatoes are tender.


Meanwhile, mix your choice of dumpling recipe in a medium bowl.


Boil a large pot of water if you are using Dumpling Recipe #1. Make small balls and flatten slightly and add to the boiling water. When dumplings rise to the top, they are done. Add them to the kielbasa mixture and heat through


If using Dumpling Recipe #2, drop small teaspoons of dumpling mixture on top of the simmering kielbasa mixture in the pan. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Dumplings are done if they “flake” when the tines of a fork are scraped across the top.


Stir in toast crumbs.


Serves 4.

Poor Man’s Dinner

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Marco Polo brought spaghetti to the west.  We take it back east.

This is a simple and filling dinner where meat is the condiment.

I’d had a bit of pot sticker filling (link is in the recipe), and wanted to use it, however, I didn’t want to fuss with pot stickers or wontons.  I’d bought a case of udon noodles from Amazon because I love them and they are pretty cheap bought in bulk.  I wanted to use some so I thought I’d combine the noodles with meatballs made from the leftover pot sticker filling.

Delicious!  And easy for when you don’t want to fuss.  The Kame brand noodles are all pre-cooked so all you do is add them to the pot.  I squish the little bags they come in to break them up well so I don’t get that many clumps.  You can pre-cook the meatballs and refrigerate until ready for use, so you can put this together in 2 shakes if they’ve already been prepared.

Asian Spaghetti & Meatballs

Makes 2 servings

Asian Spaghetti & Meatballs

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Pot Stickers (Dim Sum)

Your favorite Asian restaurant appetizer can be made at home.  And guess what? It’s EASY.

Pot Stickers Are Easy

Yes, these are easy, but a bit time consuming.  However, it’s well worth it and you can make enough to bag and freeze for when you need them again.

I don’t bother using wonton skins or eggroll wraps for this since the REAL dough is easy to make at a fraction of the cost.  It’s a hot water dough that consists only of flour and boiling water in a 2:1 ratio.

The centers can of course be filled with anything you like.  I used ground pork that I ground myself.  I used pork butt steaks.  Sorry folks but you NEED a bit of fat in these, so if you are going to buy a piece of pork to grind yourself, I’d suggest the butt steaks or the cheaper rib-end chops.

The Filling

I adapted the filling recipe from one I found on About.com but I found that filling to be quite unpleasant.  It was very bland and lacked any real flavor besides sesame oil, and too much at that.  Too much dark sesame oil to me tastes like skunk–not kidding.  You have to go EASY on it for just the right flavor.  My reworked recipe is much more flavorful and includes ingredients I can taste in the restaurant variety.

Be warned–the dough is sticky, so you will have to constantly re-flour your work surface and hands.  If you want to use wonton wrappers, it does make it easier, but it just won’t taste the same.

The Recipe

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Pot Stickers (Dim Sum or Chinese Dumplings)

Your favorite Asian restaurant appetizer can be made at home.  And guess what? It’s EASY.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Appetizers, Pork

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chinese dumplings, dim sum, pot stickers

Servings: 48 dumplings

Calories: 46kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

POT STICKER DOUGH

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup boiling water

POT STICKER FILLING

• 1 lb ground pork
• 6 oz Napa celery cabbage or regular green cabbage
• 3 tsp coarse salt divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion--the white and the green part
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro OR 1/2 tsp dehydrated
• 1 large clove of garlic minced very finely
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp grated fresh ginger or a pinch of dried
• 1 tbsp dry sherry

Instructions

• Start by making the filling.
• Shred the cabbage finely and sprinkle with 2 tsp of the coarse salt and toss. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Mix the meat and remaining ingredients plus the leftover 1 tsp coarse salt in a medium bowl. Squeeze out the water from the shredded cabbage and add to meat mixture, mixing well. Set aside.
• For the dough, mix the flour and boiling water until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cut dough in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch roll. Cut 1/2-inch portions of dough from the roll. Roll each 1/2-inch portion into a 3-inch circle. Place about 1 tbs of filling in each circle. NOTE: I roll out ALL my dough circles before I begin to fill them. Process is cleaner and also more efficient.
• Bring the edges of the circles up and seal very well, pinching to pleat slightly. This will form a crescent-shaped dumpling. They can be shaped other ways, but I find that to be a complete PAIN and the shape I make them in is the one the restaurants make them in.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tbs vegetable oil if using a regular pan, 1/2 tbs if using non stick. When oil is very hot, add the dumplings, pleated side up in the pan. Fry for about 3-5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown and start to crisp. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and reduce heat to medium, and steam until all water is absorbed; about 5-7 minutes.
• These can be served with a dipping sauce made with 1 cup soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil and 2 tbs honey mixed together. Put these ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring, until honey is dissolved.
• Makes about 48 dumplings and they can be frozen and reheated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

Pot Stickers (Dim Sum)

Pot Stickers (Dim Sum)

Pot Stickers (Dim Sum)

 

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