Comforting Chicken & Dumplings

How often do you get sick or come down with a cold/flu? This season I'm seeing it quite a bit of folks coming down with something and sadly my two boys were under the weather around the same time not too long ago. This left me to assume the role of nurse, obviously. Even though I initially went to college to become a nurse years ago, my only trusted remedy is fighting a cold through the stomach. This Comforting Chicken & Dumplings did exactly that and was a heartier meal that brought in some much needed warmth and healing vibes...

When someone is sick, my first reaction is to make chicken noodle soup. This time around, I wanted something a bit more filling and the next thing that comes to mind is chicken and dumplings. Similar to a soup, it includes tender balls of fluffy goodness. I made the dumplings using a gluten free flour blend but you can certainly use all purpose flour (which is what the original recipe called for). The soup portion of this dish was especially good. It's flavorful and that's due to the use of chicken thighs in the recipe. Chicken breast could be used but I found it to be less flavorful. If you want this to be a richer meal, add a touch of heavy cream or half & half to the broth.

Comforting Chicken & Dumplings
recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Cooking spray 

8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces 

3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut celery 

1/2 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut carrot 

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

3 parsley sprigs

1 bay leaf

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

1/2 all-purpose flour (or 70 grams gluten free flour blend + 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken; keep warm.

Add celery and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pot; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute. Add broth to pan; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Combine flour, chopped parsley, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, stirring just until moist. Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into broth mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf.