Hey dumplin'

The other day a friend asked me if chicken and dumplings could be made like a pot pie. I said, why not. I had made a few other pot pies so I thought about it for a couple of days and made it for dinner tonight.

The recipe is really just a breakdown of simple chicken and dumplings, but instead of dropping the dumplings in, they sit on top and make a thick and fluffy crust with just enough chicken and broth below. It makes a great one pot meal and serves 4-6 easily. It also takes less than an hour from start to finish, so a hot and filling meal can be on the table pretty quickly.

Chicken & Dumplin’s Pot Pie

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons flour

Dumplings

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cups whole milk

Extra flour to bring dough together and for rolling

Directions:

In a 12 inch cast iron skillet bring chicken, carrots, onion, garlic, broth, and salt & pepper to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 min. 

Preheat oven to 350*. 

While simmering, prepare dumpling dough. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening until flour resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well and pour in milk. Mix dough, adding any extra flour needed to bring dough together so that it pulls away from bowl. Turn out onto a well floured surface and roll out into a 12 inch diameter. 

Reserve 1/2 cup of simmering broth and set aside. Bring chicken back up to a boil. Blend the 2 tablespoons flour into the 1/2 cup milk and stir it into boiling chicken mixture, cooking for 1-2 minutes and then remove from heat. 

Carefully lift dough and place on top of chicken mixture. Cut crisscross lines in dough, making squares about 2 inches in size. Pour reserved broth all over dough. Place on a cookie sheet into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. 

Serves 4-6.