Chicken and Dumplings

This is one of those cozy meals to make on a chilly evening. You can make the homemade dumplings or use the refrigerated biscuits right on the stove top. This is the ultimate comfort food!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 lbs of shredded chicken. I never actually weigh my chicken. I use about 3 cups...or so.

salt/pepper to taste

5 tablespoons of butter

1 small yellow onion diced

1 cup of fresh carrots-chopped

1 cup of celery-chopped

3 cloves garlic-minced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/3 cup flour

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube-optional

1 1/2 cups half and half

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 teaspoon each: dried basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mustard powder

1/4 ground sage

pepper to taste

Dumplings:

2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 cup cold sour cream

1/4 cup cold milk

4 tablespoons butter-melted

Making the Soup:

Combine the seasonings and set aside.

Melt the butter-add onions, carrots, and celery-cook until tender.

Add the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute/stirring.

Add the flour and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes-stirring continuously.

Add the chicken broth-stirring continuously.

Add the half and half. Add the chicken bouillon. Continue stirring.

Add frozen peas. Bring to a gentle boil and let it simmer uncovered while you make the dumplings.

Dumplings:

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder and sugar in a bowl.

Add the milk, sour cream, and melted butter. Fold to form dough-don't over mix or it becomes too dense.

Add the chicken back to the soup. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low.

Carefully place the dumplings over the soup-using a spoon.

Cover with lid and increase the heat-bring to gentle simmer. Don't lift the lid for about 15 minutes-the dumplings need to steam.

Insert a toothpick in the dumpling. If it comes out clean, they are ready.

**Cake flour, instead of regular flour, will make your dumplings fluffier.

**The mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce are the flavor enhancers.

**To lower the sodium just omit the bouillon cube, use unsalted butter and use low sodium chicken broth.