Weeknight Chicken and Dumplings | Recipe Remake

In this new column, we’ll revisit favorite Yankee recipes from years past and update them for the way we cook now. So as we contemplated where to begin, the answer was easy: chicken and dumplings. This tried-and-true recipe is a consistent favorite among our readers, and with good reason. It is not, however, an easy weeknight dish. You simmer a whole chicken for an hour, then let the meat cool and take it off the bone. Meanwhile, you make the dumpling dough, roll it out, and cut it. It’s a wonderful recipe: cozy, economical, delicious. But it’s not the stuff of everyday cooking.

This updated version is. It starts with store-bought chicken stock (though you can always use homemade), a rotisserie chicken, and simple drop dumplings. We boost the flavor of the chicken stock by adding very aromatic vegetables such as leeks, carrots, celery, fennel, and garlic. And before you know it, dinner is ready. The flour from the dumplings thickens the broth, making it almost creamy. And if you want to make the dish more economical, you can always use the chicken carcass to cook up a whole new pot of stock.

Weeknight Chicken and Dumplings

Amy Traverso

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