Delicious and filling, this chicken and dumpling casserole is a great comfort food recipe to make for your family on those brisk fall and winter days.

As I am writing this blog post, we are just over 10 days away from Christmas. The tree has been decorated, the gifts wrapped and my family and I await the 12 hour trek to visit our loved ones in Kansas. Soon the busyness of the season will come to a close and winter will officially settle in.

Life begins to quiet after the holidays. No more travel. No more hustle and bustle. No more gardening, harvesting or preserving. It’s time to enter a season of rest — a welcome sight after a busy summer and fall on our homestead. And though I am not always excited about the snow, this year I embrace the change of pace and plan to enjoy watching the snowflakes blanket our yard while the dogs frolic outside.

A change of weather means a new dinner menu. Instead of grilled steaks, summer salads or pumpkin desserts, cold winter days call for cozy meals. A dish that warms the belly when you’ve spent far too much time outside. You know what I mean!

Walking the dogs on those wintery mornings when not even a pair of insulted coveralls can keep the cold out.

Or in the evenings when you tend to the chickens and that one last pesky lady can’t figure out where the door to the chicken run is and all you want to do is get her in so you can go inside and warm your hands by the wood stove.

It is times like these (among many others) that you need some comfort food.

One of my favorite winter meals is chicken and dumpling casserole. It has all of the deliciousness of chicken and noodle soup but takes a lot less time to make. The casserole recipe includes the staples — carrots, celery, onions and peas, along with chicken and a flaky drop biscuit on top. I prefer to use a mixture of boneless chicken breasts and boneless thighs but you can do either or. If you have leftover chicken from the night before just use it in this dish. Simply skip step one and move onto sautéing the veggies. The dumplings call for organic vegetable shortening but if you’re more of a butter lover, go ahead and swap it out.

This winter casserole makes great leftovers for lunch the following day. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it though. The dumplings aren’t the same after being frozen then thawed again.

Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Recipe

Warm yourself right up this winter with a cozy dinner recipe.

Makes: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

For Filling

2 Tbs oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup peas
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or boneless thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

For Dumplings

1/2 cup organic shortening or lard
2 cups whole wheat or all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add chicken to the pan in two batches and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken, until cooked through and no longer pink.

In a separate medium size pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté the onion, celery and carrots until soft and tender. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in flour, basil, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly add chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Add peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in chicken. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut shortening into flour until mixture is similar to fine crumbs. Stir in the milk.

Drop dough by spoonfuls, into 12 mounds over the chicken filling. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the dumpling comes out clean. Scoop up a plate and enjoy!

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Yield: 6 Servings

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

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Ingredients

• For Filling:
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup peas
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or boneless thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• For Dumplings:
• 1/2 cup organic shortening or lard
• 2 cups whole wheat or all purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add chicken to the pan in two batches and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken, until cooked through and no longer pink.

In a separate medium size pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté the onion, celery and carrots until soft and tender. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in flour, basil, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly add chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. Approximately 3-5 minutes. Add peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in chicken. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut shortening into flour until mixture is similar to fine crumbs. Stir in the milk.

Drop dough by spoonfuls, into 12 mounds over the chicken filling. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the dumpling comes out clean. Scoop up a plate and enjoy!

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