Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

The sun has finally left us here in the Pacific Northwest and that means.... Crockpot time! One of my favorite crockpot meals is a twist on a Hughes family staple, Chicken and Dumplings. With minimal prep time and delicious, soft dumplings, this is an old favorite made anew. The recipe below will serve a family of four easily and works great served over mashed potatoes.

 Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast fillets (any cut of chicken breast will do as long as it is boneless!)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
32 oz chicken broth, low sodium
2 tbs butter
2 large eggs

2 tsp fresh chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup milk
1/4 heavy cream

2 cups self rising flour

pinch of coarse salt

pinch of ground white pepper

Directions

In a crockpot, place chicken breasts, soup, butter and broth. Set on low heat for 5 to 6 hours or until chicken is tender and easily breaks apart with a fork. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Turn crockpot on high

In a large mixing bowl whisk together creme fraiche, milk, cream, eggs and thyme. Add flour to the mixture, stirring until just combined. In the crockpot, drop the dumpling mixture in by the spoonful. Cover the crockpot and let it cook on high for 30 to 40 minutes. I found that it works best if I flip the dumplings after 30 minutes to make sure both sides are done. Break a dumpling in half to check for doneness.

Things I'll try next time

* Those dumplings suck up a LOT of moisture so it is always better to add more broth than less. Don't worry if the mixture hasn't thickened before the dumplings are put in, the dumplings will thicken that broth right up!
* The thyme was a must. I've never been a big fan of this particular herb, but it went deliciously with the chicken. I may try to experiment with other seasonings, this is an easy dish to explore new flavors.