My Favorite Fall Recipe (For right now)

Mmmmm. Even my 3-year-old loves it.

   So fall is FINALLY here. I know, it is almost November. But, it has been unseasonably warm here in Northern Utah and the leaves are just now turning in my neighborhood. Usually, they are gone by now.
 

Every time a leaf falls from a tree, I yell "traitor" at it and shake my fist at it. My fist is getting tired. 

 Because of the now cooling weather, I decided it was a comfort food type of day. I had seen a few pins recently on Pinterest for crock pot Chicken and Dumplings and knew they would be a hit with the 3-year-old, but almost all of them called for cans of Cream of Chicken soup. In my quest to be healthier, I have been trying to avoid the canned stuff. If it looks like that coming out of the can, then that is what you are going to look like after eating it. BUT I have finally perfected a Cream of Chicken soup recipe and decided to try my hand at making my own Chicken and Dumplings recipe. OH MAN! It is yummy! And best of all, I know it is preservative free! Win win.

 Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

2 T. butter

2 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth

1 batch cream of chicken soup (recipe below)

1 ½ T. Mrs. Dash onion and herb seasoning or dried onion (can also use ½ of an onion, small diced)

1 T. dried parsley

1 batch dumplings (recipe below)

Place chicken in crock pot and top with butter. Top with cream of chicken soup, broth, and seasonings. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low 8-9 hours or until chicken is cooked and shred-able, but NOT dry.  Shred chicken and add it back to crock pot. Gently stir in dumplings (very very gently), replace lid, and cook on high for 1 hour. Stir gently when soup is finished cooking. Enjoy it while it’s warm!

Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe:

6 T. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 T. butter

1 C. low sodium chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 C. skim milk

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. When butter is melted, add in the flour mixture and allow the flour to cook some, stirring constantly. Slowly add in chicken stock, whisking constantly. When chicken stock is mixed in, add milk slowly, whisking constantly. When everything is mixed, remove from heat and add to crock pot over chicken and butter.

Dumplings Recipe:

1 cup flour

½ tsp. sugar

½ T. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 T. butter, cold and cut into small chunks

¼ cup milk

Combine dry ingredients in stand mixer (or can be done by hand). Add in butter and mix until butter is pea sized and covered with flour. Add milk and mix lightly until just combined, then knead with hands until dough comes together. Pat out or roll dough into ½ inch round. Cut dough vertically into ½ inch strips, then cut horizontally into ½ inch squares. Add into crock pot the last hour of cooking and stir gently. Finish cooking soup on high for 1 hour.