Quick Chicken and Dumplings
Quick Chicken and Dumplings with Canned Pot Pie Starter
This speedy chicken and dumplings cuts out so much cooking time because the only thing that hasn’t been made yet is the dumplings. Simply dump the starter into the pot and the hard work is done. The dumplings come together in a matter of minutes. The hardest part is the waiting.
Add this to your cold-weather quick meal repertoire and you’ll be a happy camper.
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Chicken and Dumplings Made Easier
Traditional chicken and dumplings mean cooking the chicken, preparing the vegetables, making the broth, thickening the base, and mixing the dumplings.
This recipe begins with those first steps already done. Just dump it out and heat it up. It is exactly the kind of meal that makes preserving food worthwhile. The work was done earlier and now the jar can help turn a cold or busy evening into a much easier dinner for me and my family.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These speedy chicken and dumplings are:
- Built around a ready-to-use pantry staple
- Filled with chicken and vegetables
- Topped with homemade drop dumplings
- Easy to double for a larger family
- Comforting without requiring an afternoon of cooking
- Easily adjustable to be thicker, thinner, creamier, etc.
Quick Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- Chicken Pot Pie Base
- 1 quart home-canned chicken pot pie starter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Homemade Drop Dumplings
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1–1½ cups whole milk, depending on consistency
Instructions
- Pour the canned chicken pot pie mixture into the pot.
- Bring to a boil and boil for at least 10 minutes.
- While the mixture boils, make the dumpling dough and set aside.
- After the base has boiled for 10 minutes, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add to the pot. The mixture will start to thicken.
- Using a spoon or smaller ice cream scoop, drop evenly created dumpling dough balls into the pot.
- Once all dumplings have been added, cover the pot and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the dumplings have been cooked through.
- Combine all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Add whole milk and gently combine all ingredients.
- Set aside.
For the Dumpling Dough
Notes
For a family of four I’d suggest doubling the base recipe. The dumpling dough does not need to be doubled and makes enough to accommodate using 2 quarts of the base.
- 2 quarts chicken pot pie starter
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Pot Pie Base
- 1 quart home-canned chicken pot pie starter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Homemade Drop Dumplings
This is an adaptation from The Pioneer Woman’s Dumpling Dough
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1–1½ cups whole milk, depending on consistency
Optional Toppings and Additions
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Fresh thyme
- Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cream or half and half
How to Make Speedy Chicken and Dumplings
Directions
- Pour the canned chicken pot pie mixture into the pot.
- Bring to a boil and boil for at least 10 minutes.
- While the mixture boils, make the dumpling dough and set aside.
- After the base has boiled for 10 minutes, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add to the pot. The mixture will start to thicken.
- Using a spoon or smaller ice cream scoop, drop evenly created dumpling dough balls into the pot.
- Once all dumplings have been added, cover the pot and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the dumplings have been cooked through.
For the Dumpling Dough
- Combine all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Add whole milk and gently combine all ingredients.
- Set aside.
NOTE – For a family of four I’d suggest doubling the base recipe. The dumpling dough does not need to be doubled and makes enough to accommodate using 2 quarts of the base.
- 2 quarts chicken pot pie starter
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
This is a no-fail crowd pleaser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make the Base Thicker?
Begin with the slurry and give it a minute before adding more. The dumplings also add starch while cooking which acts as a thickener. Too much cornstarch can make the base gluey.
Can I Make the Base Thinner?
Yes. Stir in hot chicken broth until the base is where you want it. Add broth before dropping in the dumplings.
Can I Double the Recipe?
Yes. Use 2 quarts of chicken pot pie starter and double the cornstarch slurry. The dumpling dough may not need to be doubled, depending on how many dumplings you want.
Can I Store Leftover Chicken and Dumplings?
Yes. Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container.
The dumplings will continue absorbing broth as they sit, so the mixture will likely be thicker the following day. Add a little broth during reheating if needed.
Can I Freeze Chicken and Dumplings?
For the best texture, freeze the base without the dumplings and make fresh dumplings after reheating it.
Using Home-Canned Chicken Pot Pie Starter Safely
This recipe assumes the chicken pot pie starter was preserved using a current, tested pressure-canning recipe without unapproved thickeners or dairy and that the jar sealed properly.
Before opening the jar, check for:
- A loose or unsealed lid
- Leaking liquid
- A bulging lid
- Cracks in the jar
- Spurting liquid when opened
- Unexpected foam, mold, or an unusual odor
Never taste food from a questionable jar. When in doubt, throw it out.
USDA guidance recommends boiling home-canned low-acid foods for 10 minutes before serving at or below 1,000 feet, adding 1 minute for every additional 1,000 feet of elevation. This added precaution does not make improperly processed food safe and does not replace the use of a tested pressure-canning recipe.
Cooking from the Cantry
These speedy chicken and dumplings are exactly the kind of meal I want a well-stocked Cantry to help me make. It is homemade comfort food without beginning every component from scratch at dinnertime.
Top each bowl with fresh herbs or a little Parmesan cheese, and enjoy the fruits of your labor earlier from in the year 🙂
