Learn how to make this healthier version of the Southern classic chicken and dumplings!
Jump to RecipeSo I grew up in the southern U.S.—a land known for it’s love of comfort food! You know the kind of food I’m talking about. The meals that taste like Grandma made it just for you with an extra scoop of love (and probably butter).
One of those classic Southern dishes is one everyone’s heard of, but maybe not everyone knows what it actually is… Chicken and dumplings!
For another Southern comfort food classic, check out chocolate gravy with biscuits.
Jump to RecipeWhat is chicken and dumplings?
It’s like a creamy chicken soup and chicken pot pie crossover, except usually without any veggies. There are tender pieces of chicken, a creamy broth, and bites of bready dumplings cooked right in the sauce. The dumplings are most commonly made from canned biscuits.
I used this delightful recipe as the base for my healthier version.
Is it healthy?
Ehhh, while it’s not as unhealthy as it tastes, I still wouldn’t call traditional chicken and dumplings healthy.
However, the version I’m sharing with you here is a lighter, healthier version (reduced calories, higher protein, and added veggies)! My recipe comes in at under 400 calories a serving but still packs in 28 grams of protein!
Can you make chicken and dumplings ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes, you can! But it’s best to take the dumplings out of the soupy part and freeze them separately in a freezer bag.
When you’re ready to reheat your chicken and dumplings, simply bring the soup part to a simmer on the stove and then add in the dumplings once they’ve mostly thawed (you can speed up the thawing by placing the bag of frozen dumplings in warm water while you’re reheating the soup). Then let everything simmer together for about 10 minutes.
So what’s one of your favorite comfort foods? Let me know in the comments!
Healthier Chicken and Dumplings (Making With Megan)
Equipment
- crockpot (slow cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken *use breasts or tenderloins for fewer calories and higher protein
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
- 1 can (10 oz) 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 can (8 count) biscuit dough
- to taste salt
Instructions
- Put everything except the vegetables, biscuit dough, and salt in the crockpot. Cook on high for about 3 hours or on low for about 7 hours.
- Shred the chicken. I do this right in the crockpot with my potato masher– just smush the chicken against the bottom of the crockpot and it should so be so tender that is falls right apart.
- Mix in the vegetables and put the lid back on.
- Take the biscuit dough out of the can, separate each biscuit, and press the dough into flat rounds. Cut each round into bite-sized chunks and put them all in the crockpot and stir.
- Cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours on high, stirring about halfway through to make sure the dough gets evenly cooked (we don't want any raw, dough parts).
- Add any salt if needed, and enjoy!
Notes
