The Best Chicken and Dumplings

The best things take a little work, and these are SO worth the extra effort. This is one of those recipes that you'll be remembered for long after you're dead! Oh, and go ahead and double the dumplings, because I promise you'll want them. My mom was famous for these, and I can only imagine she'd want me to share this recipe with everyone I can.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• For the soup

• 1  large onion, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup carrot, chopped
• 3  stalks celery, chopped
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 3  chicken breasts
• 64  ounces  chicken stock

• For the dumplings

• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon powdered thyme
• 1⁄4 cup shortening
• 1⁄2-2⁄3 cup milk
• 1  teaspoon seasoning salt

Directions

1. Start with the soup. Chop all the veggies.
2. In the biggest pot you have, saute the veggies in olive oil until the onions are soft.
3. Add the chicken broth, the seasoning salt (I like Morton's Nature's Seasoning best) and the chicken breasts.
4. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is done.
5. Take the chicken out, shred it, and return it to the soup.
6. Now for the good part: the dumplings. Mix all the dry ingredients.
7. Add the milk, and cut it into the dough until it forms a kind of dry, crumbly texture.
8. Now knead it until it forms a nice dough-y texture.
9. Put some flour down on the counter, and roll the dough until it is really, really thin. This'll take some work. It's fun though. If you're making a lot, or if you're short for room, or if you did as I advised and doubled the dumplings, you'll need to do this in a few batches.
10. With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into little rectangular dumplings about the size of those gummy erasers we used in elementary school. If they don't come out even, you'll live.
11. Drop the dumplings one by one into the soup. Don't stir it for a few minutes.
12. The dumplings will float to the top in a few minutes. If they don't, you probably did something wrong.
13. Simmer at least another 45 minutes, or as long as you like.
14. Put on your fat pants and go to town.