Hello. My name is Shelly and I'm a Pinterest addict.
If you've ever been on Pinterest, you KNOW what I'm talking about! I've spent literal HOURS sifting through yummy-looking desserts and main dishes. I've actually salivated over some of the pictures posted there!
Pinterest not only has recipes, but ideas for homeschooling, crafts, gardening, decorating, DIY's, health & beauty, fashion, organization and cleaning tips ~ just to name a few.
ANYWAY, I decided to challenge myself to cook at least 1-2 items a week for the next few months instead of just let them sit uselessly on my boards.
Yesterday, I decided to try a recipe I had pinned ~ Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings. However, the problem I found with the Pinterest recipe was that, while I liked the simplicity of the recipe, I thought it sounded WAY too bland!
In addition to being a Pinterest addict, I also watch Food Network/Cooking Channel almost every day. (I'm not happy about their decision to dump Paula Deen, though!) The one thing I've learned more than anything is the importance of seasoning your food as you go along. (As Giada ~ Giada at Home, Everyday Italian ~ says, "Season as you go. Layer upon layer of flavors!")
So it was to my dismay that the only ingredients in this recipe were chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, water, and refrigerator biscuits. Where was the flavor? the color? How boring is that? so I "turned up the volume" (channeling Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa ~ insert ~ I totally love her, she's so cute!) and added in a few of my own spices that had been waiting patiently in my cupboard for such an event as this.
Without further ado, here's my re-vamped recipe for (insert drum roll, please!)
CROCK POT CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Splash of Chicken broth
Splash of White wine (Only if it floats your boat. You can leave it out.)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons (T) of butter (yes, the real thing!)
1/2 large or 1 medium onion, chopped
Kosher salt (I'll explain my prejudice in another post)
Cracked black pepper (Same as above)
Dried chives (The ones in my herb garden aren't ready yet)
Dried thyme (Ditto)
Poultry seasoning
McCormick's Season-All Salt
1 bay leaf
Mix both cans of soup with enough broth/wine to thin it out a little. This makes the gravy, so don't add too much. You want it nice and creamy, not gloopy.
Ah, yes. I must warn you ~ words like "gloopy" are in my cooking terminology, so you'll just have to learn to deal with it, okay?
Put butter, bay leaf, half of the onions and half of the chicken in Crock Pot. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. I shook on the other spices and then poured half of the soup mixture over it. I repeated the layers and set the Crock Pot on high for 6 hours.
In the last 30 minutes of cooking, drop dollops of dumpling dough (try saying THAT five times fast!) on top, cover, and let it steam into tender, fluffy yumminess.
Dish into bowls, and enjoy watching your family devour it!
The end result was the most tender, fall-apart chicken you'll ever put in your mouth (channeling Paula Deen now!) with fluffy dumplings covered in a rich, mouth-watering gravy.
What I would do differently:
The next time I make this, I will probably add in some carrot and celery chunks ~ maybe even some of those little pearl onions. It would make it heartier.
DUMPLINGS
2 cups (c) flour
1 T baking POWDER (not soda!)
Dash kosher salt
1/4 c fresh parsley or chives
3/4 c milk
1/4 c canola oil
Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk milk & oil. Pour into dry ingredients and bring together with a fork. Drop bits of dough onto the chicken. Cover & steam for 30 minutes.
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