Dumpling-less chicken and dumplings

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite meals my dad would make for us was his chicken and dumplings. All the creamy, inner goodness of a chicken pot pie baked either in a glass dish or his famous deep cast-iron pan, topped with flaky Pillsbury biscuits. Scoop a sloppy spoonful over a bed of white rice and we’re talking a near-nirvana experience. My brother and I couldn’t get enough! It was so good! Even the smell of Dad’s dinner baking in the oven excited me when I came home from school. The whole house smelled like Thanksgiving – that herby, roasted bird and rich gravy! It’s one of those childhood comforts that brings family together and makes such lovely food memories.

I haven’t had my dad’s chicken and dumplings in years, since his classic is made with both gluten and dairy, but, I do still crave that nostalgic dish every so often.

I had set out to make my chicken soup (check out that recipe HERE!), but my venture turned into re-inventing my dad’s classic chicken and dumplings. I bought a whole, organic chicken and smothered it with dried thyme, rosemary, herbs de Provence, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and the juice from half of the lemon. I then stuffed the chicken cavity with the juiced lemon half and slow-roasted the bird in the oven at 325 F for about 2.5-3 hours. Of course I tasted some of the meat when the chicken came out of the oven and it was fall-off-the-bone tender and moist. (PS – take note, the secret to a perfectly roasted chicken right here!).

After the chicken cooled, I hand-picked all of the meat off the bones and set it aside for later. I also saved the skins for Hubby since he likes to crisp those up with rice. I thew all of the bones into a large soup pot with lots of salt, black pepper, and a bay leaf, and filled the pot with water to cover everything. I brought the base of my stock to a boil and let it simmer for hours, adding more water as it evaporated. When the stock looked rich in color, I allowed it to cool overnight and then skimmed the fat that settled on the surface. Then I removed all of the bones and allowed the broth to simmer for several more hours on the stove to concentrate the flavors. I once again chilled the broth overnight and skimmed any fat that surfaced. This time, the broth had congealed into a rich, bone broth, just what I wanted! You know you’ve made a great bone broth when the liquid broth you boiled on the stove turns into a thick jelly overnight in the fridge. This stuff is packed with nutrients! All of the collagen and minerals from the chicken bones thicken into a gelatinous, fortified broth.

Now I had my bone broth and my chicken, so I was ready for business! I sautéed diced onion with thick chunks of carrot and celery, salt, black pepper, and more herbs. Then, to thicken the base, I sprinkled some arrow root starch over the veggies as I slowly poured in my warmed bone broth. The broth thickened as it simmered, so I added in my diced chicken and some frozen peas. And for a creamy finish, I poured in rich oat milk and once again brought the mixture to a low simmer.

I served Hubby and I generous portions over steamed jasmine rice and fresh spinach. Neither of us had a moment to utter a word of conversation to one another as we simply devoured our bowls! I finally could enjoy my childhood favorite again! This recipe will be a new staple in our house, especially when Baby K arrives! We know he’ll love it too!

It’s all the goodness of chicken pot pie without the dumplings or crust! By no means do I have anything against those doughy counterparts; in fact, I love a good crust or flaky biscuit! But the creamy filling is the key to any pot pie recipe anyway. You can certainly top this recipe with paleo or gluten free biscuits or crust, whether homemade or store-bought.

Don’t be intimidated by this recipe at all! If you don’t have time to roast your own chicken or make homemade broth, there are plenty of good-quality stocks and pre-roasted chickens you can buy at the grocery store.

Dumpling-less chicken and dumplings

For the roasted chicken:
1 whole, organic chicken, about 4-5 lb.-chicken
½ lemon, zest and juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried herbs de Provence

For the stock: (makes about 7-8 cups)
Chicken bones from roasted chicken
Lemon half from roasted chicken
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
Water

For the creamy chicken, minus the dumplings:
Meat from roasted chicken, all of it
½ large onion, diced
4 large carrots, cut into large chunks
4 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried rosemary
½ tsp. herbs de Provence
2 Tbsp. arrow root starch
1 cup unsweetened oat milk
7-8 cups homemade stock (use all of it)

First roast the chicken. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Cover the chicken with the lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and black pepper. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon half. Roast the chicken for about 2.5-3 hours, or until the skin is slightly golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160-165 F. Set the chicken aside to cool. Once the chicken has cooled, pick all of the meat off the bones, dice it up and refrigerate until ready to use.

Next make the broth. Toss all off the remaining bones into a large pot with the lemon half, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Keep adding water as needed, allowing the broth to simmer for at least 4 hours. Once the broth has a rich color to it, allow it to cool and refrigerate overnight. Skim the fat off the top of the broth and remove and discard the bones. Place the stock back on the stove and bring to a simmer. Allow the broth to simmer for another 2-3 hours, adding more water as needed. Refrigerate the broth and allow it to congeal overnight. Skim any excess fat that may have accumulated overnight and set aside until ready to assemble the final dish.

Finally prepare the creamy chicken. In a large Dutch-oven pot, such as a Le Creuset, dry-sauté the onions, carrot, and celery, adding salt and black pepper to taste. Add the dried herbs. Sprinkle over the arrow root starch and slowly pour in the bone broth. Add in the diced chicken and peas. Stir and bring the dish to a low simmer, as it thickens from the arrow root starch. Once the stock has thickened, finish the dish off with the oat milk and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat until ready to serve.

Serve over top steamed jasmine rice and steamed spinach.