I’m home from a week chasing the leaves and breaking in my knit hat in Maine. I left New Orleans, sweating through a sweater and found myself in a red, orange, and yellow actual autumn wonderland up north.
Whenever I come home from a trip, which feels like a lot this year, I feel a big, open-hearted drive to nest and settle. I water the houseplants… those poor things are troopers. I usually hustle out the Instant Pot and make a batch of beans. I jar the kombucha… or think about it. I feed Tron because he’s surely yelling about snacks. I re-up my kitchen altar. Refill the seed cycling balls and settle on a cozy cozy recipe to make and enjoy all week. It’s all in an effort to get grounded at home. A hot batch of something always does the work.
This week I’m filling my dutch oven with chicken and dumplings but because October is upon us we’ve got to pumpkin sooooomething. Let’s pumpkin these dumplings! What do ya say?
Here’s what we’ll need:
• Stew starter veggies like onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs, or whatever cut you’d like.
• Dried thyme, salt and pepper.
• Chicken broth and finishing greens like peas and parsley.
• Flour, baking powder, salt, egg, pumpkin puree, butter and buttermilk for the dumpling. * These dumplings also work really well substituting a gluten-free flour blend!
Start by generously seasoning the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
We’re going to pan fry the chicken so leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes so we’re not pan trying it from fridge-cold.
Brown each piece of chicken on both side in hot olive oil. There’s no need to worry about cooking the chicken all the way through, it will simmer later in the stew.
Set the browned chicken aside and add the vegetables to olive oil. Stir up any browned bits of chicken from the bottom of the pan as the vegetables soften.
With the vegetables softened, add the chicken back to the pan, along with a bay leaf.
Add the chicken broth and let the stew simmer to cook the chicken through and incorporate the ingredients.
Spoiler alert: everything smells amazing right now!
While the stew cooks we can assemble the dumplings. Think of these as little drop biscuits that will cook and float as they simmer in the stew.
My first past at typing ‘biscuits’ here came out as ‘bizcuits’ and I really should have left it. My soul was on to something.
Start with flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and a dash of dried thyme. Add cold butter, just a bit, and using fingers, break the butter down into the dry ingredients.
In a small bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree.
We’ll add the wet ingredients directly to the flour mixture and stir so a soft, wet dough.
I used an ice cream / cookie scoop to dollop the dumpling dough into the hot stew.
Cover the pot and allow the mixture to come to a simmer – cooking the dumplings in the stew itself.
The dumplings will puff together to pleasingly plump. You’ll know it when you see it.
Serve warm and hearty with a dumpling or two in each bowl. It’s just as satisfying as your heart is telling you.
Other cozy recipes you might enjoy this time of year:
Roasted Vegetable Winter Crumble
Ingredients Instructions
https://joythebaker.com/2019/10/chicken-and-pumpkin-dumplings/
Allison
This was the recipe I made the most, out of all recipes, from any blog or book. I made it the day it zoomed into my inbox, and I have not stopped making it since. I absolutely adore this. I am about to make a big pot of it tonight to feed me for the next few days.
Cheryll
How many dinner servings will this make?
joythebaker
I would say 4!
Sabrina
really nice recipe had never made it before but ordered it a bunch, just never came across a recipe for chicken and dumplings before, so thank you
Rena
For me without chicken as I don’t like chicken – but the rest sounds perfect!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Charlotte Hicks
This looks yummy. Showed my husband the picture and I got a thumbs up response. Going to make it for dinner tonight. Love all of your recipes, Joy.
Samantha
This recipe is perfect for foggy days like today!
Sina
Sounds delicious!
Thinking about adding a good piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped, alongside the veggies. What do you think, will this work with the other flavours of this stew, Joy?
Laura
This looks so good. Is the pumpkin from a tin? Or do you cook and purée it yourself? It’s turned very grey and murky inEngland and this looks like the antidote
joythebaker
I just use the pumpkin from a tin!
Kelsey
I just keep thinking ‘Chicken and Pumplings’ #missedopportunity #sorrynotsorry
Tina
Yes! So much yes! #chickenandpumplings
joythebaker
You’re right you’re not wrong. :)
Marianne
Hi Joy! I know you’re always thinking of gluten-free options, so I thought I’d ask – do you have a recommendation for GF drop biscuits? I usually just replace with a 1:1 gf flour alternative, but maybe you have a better suggestion?
joythebaker
A 1:1 gf flour alternative is what I would go with too! Maybe I’d just add an extra egg yolk.
Rita
Brilliant! My husband and I are living off your tomato-zucchini soup for the rest of the week, but this is next on my dinner list!
Rachel >> Strangers on a Plain
I’ve never had chicken and dumplings. What is the consistency of the bread part?
joythebaker
The bread is soft and wet on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside.
Julia
Does this reheat well? I was thinking of making for a Potluck lunch
joythebaker
I would say that it reheats well once. More than once and the dumplings will start to break down.
Tonya
Nice twist on the dumpling dough with pumpkin! It’s a creative way to put a bit of fall taste in and really make it for the season! I hope to make it this weekend!