Super Simple Lazy Day Chicken & Dumplings

Another "Polar Vortex" is attacking the part of the country where my hubby and I live. No less than five inches of snow on the ground and temps barely reaching double digits.
Polar Vortex. *derisive snort*
At the risk of sounding old - and I am turning the big 4-0 next month - but back when I was a kid, snow and single digit temperatures were just called Winter. Currently, it is snowing again. It's pretty, and I love watching it fall. What I don't like is my husband's hour long commute (on a clear day!) to and from work in busy Northern Virginia. It makes me worry.

Anyhow, when it's really cold outside and especially when there is rain or snow happening along with it, I crave comfort stick-to-your-ribs kind of food. Chili and cornbread, Salisbury steak and gravy with mashed potatoes, corned beef soup...and my mom's super easy chicken and dumplings.

Don't be fooled. This is not a recipe for anyone looking to lose weight.
That said, if you have spent a long day shoveling snow, scraping ice, or even just out playing in snow or cold weather, this is an awesome dish for those kinds of days.

The day before making this dish, I had cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot for dinner. Hubby and I ate the breasts only (minus the tenderloins because that was one huge bird), so the remainder of the chicken got de-boned, chopped and set aside for dinner the following night. I also strained the broth from the slow cooker, returned it to the crock, added water and the bare chicken bones. I set it to low and let it cook a few hours to make stock for the dumplings.

If you do that, put the whole crock in the fridge overnight. Then scrape off the fat from the top and strain the broth into a large stock pot. You may need to add a few cups of water or broth from a carton or can to fill the pot halfway. Now toss in your chicken, and turn the heat to medium. Let it come to a very low boil.

Okay now it's time to work on the dumplings. Here are the ingredients:

No, seriously. There they are. A four pack of cheap canned biscuits.
Truth? I don't know how to make homemade dumplings. I have never tried. While I am sure that I could, I just love these so much that I will more than likely probably always make them this way. They are so chewy and yummy and just soak up all the flavor in the broth...I have to stop. I just started drooling.

Okay so you flatten those bad boys a little bit and drop them, one by one, into the broth. Do the whole can. Done? Okay, do the second can.  

When you're done with that, do the third.

Nope. Not kidding.

Look in there. That's a lot of dumplings, isn't it? Well guess what? We're going to throw that last can of  biscuits as well.
What?! Is she insane?! Does she have no regard for fat and cholesterol?
Meh.
Do it. Feel the freedom. Throw caution to the wind. Embrace the inner fatty. Just work it off later...however you feel the need to do your cardio.  *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

Seriously, though...the reason for so many is that by the time you get to the fourth can, the first can has melted into the broth...and that's great! It's what makes the chicken and dumplings get nice and thick and hearty. Plus, I just really like a lot of dumplings. I'm the girl who went to Cracker Barrel a few months ago and ordered their chicken and dumplings...with dumplings as my optional side. Yep. That happened.

Let that cook down for a few minutes so the biscuits you just added aren't raw. Look in that pot, what do you see? The chicken has broken up and is sticking to the dumplings as you stir, and stirring wasn't as easy as it was a few minutes ago! Don't forget to add salt and pepper to suit your taste buds.

Seriously, I am drooling writing this post. I need to go find something non-food related to do. Like laundry. Nothing like washing dirty socks and underwear to kill an appetite.

So, hey...if you try this...come back and let me know what you thought, okay?  Enjoy!