Comforting Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb chicken breast or thighs (can use up to 1.5 lbs)
• 2.5 carrots (medium, diced)
• 2.5 celery stalks (diced)
• 1 onion (medium, diced)
• 4.5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 rosemary sprigs (chopped)
• 2.5 tsp garlic powder (divided use)
• 2.5 tsp salt (divided use)
• 2.5 tsp black pepper (divided use)
• 2.5 tsp smoked paprika (divided use)
• 2.5 tsp dried oregano (divided use)
• cayenne pepper (a pinch for the chicken seasoning)
• 5 cup chicken broth (can use 4-6 cups)
• 1.5 cup heavy cream (can use 1-2 cups)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1.5 tbsp flour (all-purpose)
• 1 box Red Lobster Biscuit Mix (prepared according to package instructions for dumplings)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (for searing chicken)

Steps

1. 1

   Season the chicken breast or thighs with a portion of the dried oregano, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Ensure the chicken is evenly coated.

2. 2

   In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and sear until it has a nice golden-brown crust on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (it does not need to be fully cooked through yet).

3. 3

   In the same pot, add the diced celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions become translucent.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, and 2 tablespoons of butter to the vegetables. Stir until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.

5. 5

   Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to create a roux and cook out the raw flour taste.

6. 6

   Slowly pour in the chicken broth while scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze and incorporate any browned bits (fond).

7. 7

   Stir in the heavy cream and the remaining seasonings (garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano).

8. 8

   Return the seared chicken to the pot. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

9. 9

   While the soup simmers, prepare the Red Lobster biscuit mix according to the box instructions to form a dough.

10. 10

    Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.

11. 11

    Drop spoonfuls (dollops) of the biscuit dough into the simmering soup. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through and fluffy.

12. 12

    Adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if needed and serve warm.

Notes

A great hack for the dumplings is using Red Lobster biscuit mix if you don't want to make them from scratch. Adjust the seasoning levels based on the total volume of broth and cream used.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• comfort food
• chicken
• dumplings
• stew
• winter