Chicken and Dumplings

Pretty much every time I eat at Cracker Barrel, I order the Chicken and Dumplings.  They have such a rich and creamy consistency, and a wonderful, almost peppery flavor.  I always assumed they are pretty high calorie, though, so I considered them a splurge.  They have to be bad for you, right?  I have been conditioned to believe the following food maxims:

Cream based = butter/cream/fat is the main ingredient = high calorie = pants too tight
Broth based = chicken/beef stock is the main ingredient = low calorie = can still fit in pants

For the most part, these rules are true.  BUT the Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings are an unlikely exception!  The creamy consistency comes from slow-simmering dumplings in herb-infused chicken stock, causing them to partially dissolve and thicken the stock.  You'd swear there was a stick of butter in here, but there's not even a teaspoon.  Shocking?  Maybe.  Delicious?  Definitely!

Chicken and Dumplings

2-2.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 large white onion, cut into big chunks
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 tsp black pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Dumplings:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk (I use skim)

In a large stock pot, combine 8 cups water, chicken, 1 tsp salt, onion, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and 1 tsp salt.  Cook over medium heat for about an hour, uncovered.

With a slotted spatula or spoon, remove chicken, and skim off all the onions and herbs.  All you want remaining in the pot is the broth.

Discard everything but the chicken.  Keep broth at a simmer over medium to medium low heat.  To the broth, add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Cut or pull the chicken into bite size chunks.

To make the dumplings, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.  Add milk.

Combine until dough just comes together.  Don't overmix or dumplings will be tough.

Let dough rest 10 minutes. Then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness on floured surface.

Use a pizza cutter to slice into dumplings.  Mine were around 1 inch x 1 inch.

Drop dumplings into broth.  Dumplings will swell, then will partially dissolve to thicken the sauce.  Cook 25 minutes.

Once sauce is thickened and dumplings are cooked through, stir in the chicken.

Give the mixture a final stir to combine.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!