Since we leave for vacation in a couple days I'm trying to 'use' up what foods we have on hand and certainly do no grocery shopping! This coupled with the fact that its a cold, rainy day with a chance of it turning to snow... it's perfect weather for a comfort food that simmers and cooks all day long, filling the house with the aroma of delicious food and the promise of a hot meal in our stomachs tonight at dinner.
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
1 - bag or box frozen mixed vegetables - You decide what size based on how many vegetables you want in your finished product. I used about half a 12 oz. bag.
4-5 potatoes, diced
1 small/medium onion, chopped or diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced or chopped
2 c chicken broth or 2 c water with 3-4 bouillon cubes
1 10-3/4-ounce cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)(had to omit because of DH)
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
For stew, in a large crock pot, combine the vegetables, garlic, bay leaves, sage, salt, and pepper. Lay the chicken on top of the vegetables. In a medium bowl gradually whisk broth into soup. Pour broth mixture over the chicken. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
About 40 minutes before serving, turn slow cooker to high-heat if it isn't already. With a wooden spoon, stir stew. Remove bay leaves; discard. In a small bowl combine water and cornstarch; stir into stew until combined.
For dumplings, in a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cheese, cornmeal, baking powder, and the 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl combine egg, milk, and melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir with a fork until moistened. Use 2 spoons to drop dough directly on top of stew. Cover; cook for 30 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. (Do not lift cover during cooking.)
