Here on my little patch of heaven, the day has turned bitter cold with winds and a squall of snow. Since I have turkey left over from Thanksgiving, I’m going to make some turkey & dumplings (chicken would work, too). No kidding, this is one tummy warming, satisfying meal. All in one bowl! And if you’ve never made dumplings, no worries. My detailed recipe guarantees success, every time. No peeking!

 TURKEY OR CHICKEN WITH VEGGIES AND NO PEEK DUMPLINGS

Ingredients chicken and vegetables

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon or so garlic, minced (1 nice clove)

14.5 oz. can chicken broth, low sodium

2/3 cup milk

3 generous cups cooked chicken or turkey, coarsely chopped

1/2 pound sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled

10 oz. box frozen peas and carrots, thawed a bit (optional)

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Melt butter in pot and stir in flour. Whisk over medium heat until it starts to turn a little golden, but don’t let brown. Add garlic, broth and milk. Cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, a few minutes. Stir in chicken, sausage and vegetables. Taste for salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then lower to simmer, covered, while you make dumplings. Don’t worry if it looks a little thin, the dumplings will thicken the mixture more as they cook.

Ingredients dumplings

Depending upon how wide the pan is, you may not fit all dumplings on top of chicken. I have a second, smaller pan simmering with broth and that’s how I cook extra dumplings. Or just cut the recipe in half.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Chopped parsley or bit of dried parsley (optional)

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, cut into small chunks

1 egg, beaten slightly

1/2 cup milk

Instructions

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and parsley.

Cut butter into flour mixture with fork or pastry blender until blended to the point where flour still has some lumps of butter in it. Don’t over mix.

Make a well in center. Whisk egg and milk together. Pour into well and mix with fork. Dough will leave sides of bowl and look shaggy and sticky. Don’t over mix. (Check out my web site for step-by-step photos).

Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon sprayed with cooking spray to drop dumplings carefully on top of simmering chicken, leaving some space in between for expansion. Put lid on. No peeking!  Simmer 12-15 minutes, or until largest dumpling is done: cut in half to test. Dumplings expand to double.

Makes about 10-12.

Tip: Is your baking powder still good?

Put a teaspoon in warm water – it should fizz up quickly if it’s good.