Chicken and dumplings

When it comes to chicken and dumplings, I'm not a fan of homemade dumplings.  I don't particularly like fluffy dumplings.  They always just seem soggy to me.  Mom and Nana have always made dumplings with canned biscuits as long as I can remember.  Those are the dumplings I prefer so those are the dumplings I make.  Of all the foods that I make homemade because they are just better/fresher/healthier... I will never add dumplings to that list.



Since I don't have to make homemade dumplings this recipe goes outrageously fast.  We don't like vegetables in our chicken and dumplings.  Adding vegetables makes it taste like chicken pot pie to me.  The ingredient list is extremely short.  I only make half of this recipe because it feeds this family just about perfectly and it isn't very good left over.

It really is just chicken... and dumplings... and delicious.

Chicken and Dumplings

2 chicken breasts
32 oz chicken broth
2 cans homestyle biscuits (my mom uses grands but I use the cheap store brand biscuits that come in a pack of four)
flour
salt and pepper

Pour the chicken broth into a soup pot.  Bring the broth to a boil and turn the heat down to a very low simmer.  You really just barely want to see bubbles in it.  Add the chicken, cover, and cook about 20-25 minutes.  You are not boiling the chicken.  Boiling it will make it very tough.  You are poaching it so keep the heat as low as you can.  When the chicken is cooked through remove it and set it aside to cool.  Bring the broth back up to a boil.  (If some of the liquid has boiled off you can add some water.)  Put some flour, about 1/4 cup to start with, on a plate.  Remove the biscuits from the cans.  Using your fingers, coat each biscuit in flour and flatten them out a little.  Once the broth is boiling, start adding pieces of biscuit to the liquid.  You can either cut them with scissors or just tear them apart with your fingers.  Each biscuit makes about 6-8 dumplings.  Don't worry about dusting the flour from the biscuit because flour it will help thicken the broth.  When you first drop the dumplings in they will expand and float.  When all of the dumplings have been added reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and wait for them to shrink and sink.  When they have sunk they are done.  While the dumplings cook shred the chicken with your fingers or two forks and when the dumplings are done add the chicken back in and stir.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.