Momma's Best Chicken and Dumplings

There's a lot of love in those dumplings! This is comfort food at its best and so worth the time and effort. I love the ohhs, awws, and OMGs, smiles, and sighs of total satisfaction that come with this bowl of heaven.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 28 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 58 mins
• Calories: 405 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter
• water to cover
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large carrot, quartered
• 2 large bay leaves
• ⅛ teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 ribs celery, quartered
• 1 teaspoon mashed garlic
• 2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons self-rising flour (such as White Lily®)
• 2 cups self-rising flour (such as White Lily®)
• ¼ cup cold shortening
• ¼ cup chicken broth, slightly chilled

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning; cook and stir until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Push vegetable mixture to the sides and add chicken; cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Step 2

Pour enough water over the chicken to cover by 3 inches; bring to a boil. Stir, scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat; simmer until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken and carrots to a serving plate with a large slotted spoon; let cool.

Step 3

Ladle 1/4 cup cooking liquid into a bowl; cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons flour. Stir back into the pot.

Step 4

Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl; cut in shortening with 2 knives until mixture forms pea-sized bits. Mix in chilled chicken broth until dough is combined.

Step 5

Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead 5 to 6 times; pat down to 1-inch thickness. Sprinkle lightly with flour; roll out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into squares with a sharp knife.

Step 6

Drop squares, in batches, into simmering cooking liquid, moving squares to the side with each addition. Partially cover pot; simmer until dumplings are firm, about 12 minutes. Separate any dumplings that stick together. Remove from heat; keep covered.

Step 7

Bone chicken; cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot. Chop carrot; return to the pot. Cool chicken and dumplings, about 30 minutes, before serving.