Winter Comfort Food~Chicken and Dumplings

In the winter, at my house, everyone wants comfort food.  That can be anything from chili and cornbread, mac and cheese, or the old favorite:  Chicken and Dumplings.  Not only is it an awesome way to use leftover  chicken or turkey, it tastes so good if you have been feeling really bad.  I taught my daughter how to make homemade dumplings and we had a great afternoon together.  Priceless!

Chicken:
1 large fryer chicken (4-5 lbs.), neck and gizzards removed
1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
3 carrots, cut into large pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
 Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Dumplings:
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tbsp. shortening
1 cup milk

Place the chicken, onions, carrots, and celery in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water maintains a steady simmer. Cook chicken for 1 hour or until cooked through (at least 165 degrees). About 30 minutes after you start cooking the chicken you can go ahead and start making the dumplings or you can wait until the chicken is fully cooked.
Once chicken is done, remove it from the stock and let cool. Remove chicken meat from the bone and shred into medium-sized pieces, discarding bones and skin.
 Reserve 6 cups of the broth for the dumplings. You can leave it in the stock pot or dutch oven you used to cook the chicken.   Refrigerate or freeze the rest to use in for another recipe. It’s much more flavorful than the stuff you buy at the grocery store.  My family likes the vegetables left in, but you can remove them if you like.
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles small peas.
Add milk — 1/4 cup at a time, you may not need a full cup — and stir until a ball of dough just begins to form. Be careful not to over-mix!  You don't want tough, chewy dumplings!


Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Roll about ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into rectangles about 1 inch wide by 3 inches long. Place strips on wax or parchment paper and allow them to harden up a bit, about 30 minutes.
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat, bring the reserved stock to a steady simmer and drop in dumplings. Cover and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes.

Once the dumplings are cooked, put the chicken meat back into the pot and give everything a good stir.  Let it simmer on low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes until it's nice and thick.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!