Good Morning Anne and the KT I made chicken and dumplings a few weeks ago and boy was it the best I ever mad! I did poach the chicken along with onions and celery. Cooked everything until it was cooked through. Drained the chicken to cool. Then I took two cans of cream of chicken soup, added some chicken broth (from poaching the chicken), warmed it up, picked the chicken, put back in the pot then I let it cook for several hours. Stirring occasionally. When it was time for the dumplings I used Bisquick but you can do a flour dumpling recipe. I do not mean to brag but I must say this was the bomb and my new way to make chicken and dumplings. Here is the recipe for Flour dumplings: 2 cups all purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ¾ milk Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add milk and stir to make a soft dough. Add a little more milk or flour, if dough is too thin or stiff. Drop dough from tablespoonfuls onto simmering stew. Cover stew tightly and cook for about 15 minutes without removing cover. The dumplings are not that fluffy but they were good. Sorry, this so long and I hope you get your chicken and dumplings. Deb

Congratulations on your dumpling success! Recently, I made posole (just after turning 20 lbs. of tomatillos into salsa verde) and for something different added cornmeal dumplings just before serving. It was delicious - will definitely be making it again. Nice change from tortillas or cornbread. /tricia

Here is a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Cookbook for Short Ribs with Cornmeal Dumplings. You do have to have some sort of stew to cook the dumplings in. 3 lb. beef short ribs, cut in serving-size pieces salt and pepper 1 med. onion, cut in thin wedges 1 clove garlic, minced 1 28-oz. can tomatoes cut up 1 12 oz. can beer 1 fresh or dried hot red chile pepper, seeded, chopped 2 TB soy sauce 1 TB sugar 3/4 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 1/4 t. ground nutmeg Trim fat from ribs. In heavy pot or Dutch oven brown ribs on all sides; season with s&p. Remove ribs from pot. Drain off fat, reserving about 2 TB. Add onion and garlic to reserved drippings; cook until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, beer, chile, soy sauce, sugar, the 3/4 t. salt, the 1/4 t. pepper, and the nutmeg. Return meat to pan and bring all to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cool, skim off fat, return to heat, bring up to boiling. Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings: In saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, and 1/2 t. salt, bring to boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into 1 beaten egg. Return to the hot cornmeal mixture. Stir together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 t. baking powder, and a dash pepper. Add to cornmeal mixture; beat well. Stir in one small 7-8oz. can whole kernel corn, drained. Drop batter by rounded TB full onto boiling stew mixture. Cover and simmer until dumplings are done, 10-12 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings. And from a small booklet from the NC Miller's Association, no date: Beef and Corn Meal Dumplings 1 1/2 cups water 1 can roast beef (stew beef or chicken may be used) 2 small onions 1 TB butter salt to taste pinch of black pepper Boil all together until well blended. Make dumplings: 1 cup corn meal 3/4 t. salt 1 cup hot water Mix and drop small balls about the size of a quarter into the boiling meat mixture singly. Cook, covered about 10 minutes. Note: These dumplings are also used in liquor of green vegetables. (perhaps referring to greens here)

I prefer to use just thighs for chicken and dumplings, but have used the whole chicken on occasion. Cook the chicken ( cut into parts if using whole chicken) and the vegetables (cut into bite sized pieces) in a heavy pot with just enough water or broth to cover, until done. I use quite a lot of vegetables, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas, chopped parsley. Allow to cool a bit, debone the chicken and cut it into bite sized pieces. Return to pot with broth and vegetables. You may need to add more broth at this point, you want enough liquid to cook the dumplings. Bring to a very gentle simmer, add dumplings, cover, cook until dumplings are done. (They will almost double in size). Dumplings 1 ½ Sticks butter 2 C water 2 C sifted all purpose flour 1 tsp salt* 4 eggs 1/4 ro ½ C flour * I like to use a seasoned salt. Morton’s Nature’s Seasoning when making chicken & dumplings, or garlic salt for beef stew with dumplings. For ham & dumplings I omit the salt entirely, they pick up enough from the ham broth. In medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add butter to melt. Add flour and salt all at once, stir and continue to cook until mixture leaves sides of pan. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, (Be sure each egg is well incorporated into the flour mixture before adding the next one.) For the flatter, strip dumplings, turn dough out onto floured work surface (you may want to do this in sections, about a third at a time.) And pat out with floured hands or use rolling pin. Cut into strips, about 1" X 2". (Or get fancy and make whatever shape you like, squares, diamonds, etc.) If you prefer drop dumplings, skip the rolling out step, and just drop dough by the spoonful into gently simmering broth. (A cookie dough scoop is great for this). Cover and cook until done, about 8 or 10 min. These dumplings will absolutely melt in your mouth!