Below is Paula Deen's Chicken and Dumplings but here's what I do.
I boil chicken breasts and chop or shred them up. (save the broth) Then I use Paula Deen's celery/onion/bay leaves/bouillon cubes/house seasoning(recipe below)- I keep a little bag of that) and the cream of celery soup. (I use two cans of the cream of celery soup).
Then I boil egg noodles(whatever kind you like from the store) I use No Yolks brand. I boil them in the broth made from boiling the chicken. Then I dump all of the celery/onion bay leaves/bouillon cubes/house seasoning/soups into the noodles. If you have a lot of broth it can be runny like soup but I have just enough and the noodles/chicken mixture can be put on a plate to eat or still eat it out of a boil but you want the broth to be soaked up. I have just a big saucepan/soup kettle thing I leave it in. This is pretty bland too but has lots of flavor. I had made this before Paula Deen's recipe but that celery soup really makes it good. I usually serve with rolls and green peas. Oh sometimes I toss the frozen peas in with the chicken/noodles.
Paula's recipe with homemade dumplings(I've never made them- we like store bought noodles! and it makes it easier)
Chicken:
1 (2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Ice water
To start the chicken: Place the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in a large pot. Add 4 quarts of water and in water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the thigh juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat to the pot. Keep warm over low heat.
To prepare the dumplings: Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about 3/4 cup of ice water. Knead the dough and form it into ball.
Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm), working from center to 1/8-inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.
Add the cream of celery soup to the pot with the chicken and simmer gently over medium-low heat.
Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Repeat. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes.
To serve, ladle chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls.
Cook's Note: If the chicken stew is too thin it can be thickened before the dumplings are added. Simply mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water then whisk this mixture into the stew.
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
