Chicken & Dumplings

 My beautiful new dutch oven!

I might not have tried this recipe if my sister Lindsey hadn't made it for me first.  It was so homey, warm, and delicious!!  She got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman, and I bought a dutch oven just so that I could make it again - that tells you how good it is!

So my first time making it, it took me way longer than her suggested 45 minutes.  I used a whole chicken, but didn't realize she had gotten one precut.  So I had to butcher my bird and decide which pieces to use and what to just dump.  I think I will just use a bag of breasts next time.  I also thought that the spices were a bit strong, so I reduced them for the future.  And there will be a future.  In spite of it taking me forever to make it, it was worth it!

Chicken & Dumplings

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 whole chicken - cut into pieces
salt & pepper
1/2 cup carrots - finely diced
1/2 cup celery - finely diced
1 onion - finely diced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp turmeric
6 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup heavy cream

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 T baking powder (heaping)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup half-and-half

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour. Melt butter with olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate. In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes. While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine. Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.