I like the big, fluffy drop dumplings but my daughter is partial to the rolled, southern style dumplings. They are a little more time consuming but so tasty! You'll need about 2 quarts of broth. Homemade is best but if you don't have time, make sure you buy a good quality broth. I'm partial to Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Low Sodium broth. That is a mouth full! Also, I am trying to get my family to eat veggies so I sneak them in where I can. No, this isn't a true Southern style Chicken and Dumplings recipe. Deal with it.
To make the soup base, you pretty much just dump all the stuff into a large pot. Its pretty straight forward. Hold off until the end to add any salt or pepper though. After everything is in the pot and on its way to bubbling along happily, make the dumplings.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic if you choose to use it (and I strongly recommend that you do!). Scoop out about 1/3 cup shortening with your hand and start mixing it into the flour. With your hands. Get messy. Playing with your food is fun! Add a little more shortening if needed. Your flour mixture should look like course bread crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in about 1/3 cup of the milk and mix together. With your hands. Slowly add in more milk until the mixture comes together. Don't add too much or it will become too sticky! Well, you could add more milk and make it sticky then just drop the dumplings by the spoonful into the bubbling soup. Then you'd be done and you could skip down to the actual recipe. Otherwise, read on!
Once the dough comes together, dump it out onto a flour covered board or counter and knead for a few minutes.
Mine was a little too dry. I had to add another tablespoon of milk. Knead the dough until its kinda smooth or your hands give out. Mine usually looks like a brain. Mmm tasty.
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Roll the dough out until its about 1/8" thick. The dumplings will plump in the broth while cooking. Dust both sides of the rolled out dough with flour then cut into 1"-ish rectangles.
Carefully move the dumplings over to the bubbling pot of chickeny goodness and drop in a few at a time. Don't crowd the dumplings and try to drop them in one by one in different parts of the pot. Otherwise they stick together and that just isn't good. DO NOT STIR for a couple of minutes.
Let it boil away happily over a medium heat for about 10 minutes stirring once or twice then turn off the heat. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Don't touch it. You'll be rewarded.
Ok, now you can add salt and pepper to taste.
And you can dig in.
Yes, I made that picture huge.
Southern-ish Style Chicken and Dumplings
64 ounces chicken broth
2-3 cups shredded chicken
1 cup fresh carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 big pinch dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
about 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
