EASY CHICKEN STEW & DUMPLINGS

I thought I'd share a recipe with you that I've been making for nearly twenty years now. Whoa. That sentence makes me sound (and fee!) like an old granny lady. I guess I am getting old, ha! Last night I shared on IG how yesterday was our engagement anniversary, and when I wrote out the date- April 7, 1997... yikes! That was a loooong time ago! I'll be shopping for dentures and Depends before I know it, sigh.

This is a quick and easy main dish and takes about a half hour from start to finish, less if you've got the chicken already prepared. It's great year-round, too. It's warm and comforting in the colder months, and it keeps me from having to turn on the oven in the hotter ones when we still need to, oh I don't know, eat something other than cereal.

 INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN STEW

14 oz chicken stock

about 2/3 cup water

small bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1-2 cups cooked chicken, cubed *

oregano, parsley, thyme & basil

dash garlic powder

salt & pepper 

fresh basil for garnish, optional

1. In large saucepan, combine broth, vegetables, water (I fill the stock up about halfway; if I use more water, I'm sure to compensate by adding a bit more spices), herbs & spices. Bring to boiling.

2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, gently blend milk and flour with fork. Add to vegetable mixture and stir. Next add cubed chicken and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture thickens- this may take several minutes. If the mixture still won't thicken or get bubbly, stir in a bit more flour.

3. While stew is thickening, prepare dumplings.

INGREDIENTS FOR DUMPLINGS

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup milk

2 tbsp cooking oil

dash salt

a few shakes of dillweed and parsley

4. Combine dumpling ingredients to form a thick doughy mixture. Don't over-stir. If mixture seems too dry, add milk; too wet, add flour- this recipe is forgiving, which comes in handy when I'm making a bigger batch than usual. Drop dumpling mixture onto bubbling stew with either a cookie scoop or a spoon. 

5. Cover mixture and simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes. DO NOT LIFT COVER while simmering or the dumplings will not fully cook. Serve promptly. Enjoy!

*We cook chicken for this dish in a covered pan in about an inch of water over medium-low heat.

**If you're really short on time, you can combine about 1 cup biscuit mix and 1/3 cup milk for the dumplings; add herbs to dough mixture.

PS: This is Isabelle's basil, or hazel, as she calls it, and she is quite proud of it. She may have been a bit overzealous when pinching one of the leaves off, ha ha.  =)

Happy Wednesday!