Chicken with Crusty Dumplings

Friday 14 October 2016



One of the most versatile leftovers has to be leftover roast chicken!  I just love it.  There is so much that can be done with it.






I often make hot chicken sandwiches with the sliced meat and leftover gravy . . . boy oh boy is that gravy good on chips!  With a little dab of coleslaw on the side and some cranberry sauce, this meal is bliss!



Chicken salad also comes to mind . . . chopped chicken, toasted pecans, chopped celery, onion and some chopped apple and dried cranberries in a mayo dressing . . .  perfect served in a warm croissant, or scooped out onto a bed of lettuce!



Or how about a tasty chicken pot pie, using all the leftover vegetables and gravy as well.  If you put it under a crust, I am so there!



Then there are the chicken casseroles . . . chicken and noodles,  chicken and rice, white lasagna . . . there is no end to what you can create with a bit of imagination!



One of my favourites is this delicious Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with Crusty Dumplings.  Chunks of tender chicken, salty bacon, onions and browned mushrooms in a tasty sauce, topped with flavourful chive suet dumplings and baked in the oven until the casserole is all hot and bubbly and the dumplings are crusty and lightly browned.



Oh boy . . . is this some good!  I like to serve it with steamed peas and new potatoes.  (Want a little trick?  Take a can of peeled new potatoes, drain well and then dump them into a skillet along with a knob of butter, a tsp of white sugar and some paprika.  Heat through over medium high heat, stirring until they begin to brown.  Season with some salt and pepper and they are good to go!  Easy peasy lemon squeasy!)



*Chicken with Crusty Dumplings*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious way to use up some of that leftover roast chicken!

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 slices of streaky bacon, chopped
1 pound closed cup mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 TBS oil
1 TBS butter
2 heaped TBS plain flour
1/2 tsp summer savoury
sea salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups of cocoked chicken, cut into cubes
8 fluid ounces chicken stock (1 cup)
8 fluid ounces milk (1 cup)

For the Dumplings:
100g self raising flour (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g of vegetable suet (1/4 cup)
salt and white pepper
1 TBS finely chopped chives

Heat  the oil and butter in a large skillet.  Add the bacon, onion and  mushrooms.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked, the  onions are softened and the mushrooms have begun to brown.   Add the  summer savoury.  Sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat.  Stir in the  milk and chicken stock.  Cook and stir until it thickens.  Season to  taste with salt and pepper.  Pour into  a 9 inch deep pie dish.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Measure  the flour for the dumplings  into a bowl.  Whisk in the baking powder and season  generously with salt and white pepper.  Drop in the suet and chives.   Give it a good stir.  Add enough cold water to  make a soft and sticky  dough, about 4 to 5 TBS.  Roll into 8 evenly sized balls with floured  hands, and drop on top of the chicken mixture.

Bake in the heated  oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and the  dumplings are nicely browned, light and puffy!  Serve with some boiled  potatoes and some baby peas.

Note :  This also works well with leftover turkey!

14 comments

  1. A wonderful recipe! Happy Friday ♥

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  2. Hi Marie, it sounds wonderful, but I can't seem to recieve any images. I Love your website. Thank you, Dale

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    1. Hi Dale! I am having an issue with photobucket at the moment and trying hard to rectify it. It's really annoying! Hope it is sorted soon. xo

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  3. I follow another blog(you might like it too:) ) and her photos w/ PB are not loading either..
    I bet it is great!

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    1. Hopefully it will rectify itself eventually Monique! I have my fingers crossed. What photo storage program do you use? xo

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  4. I have no idea what summer savory is could you tell me? thanks

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    1. It's an herb Pammie. You could use some marjoram and thyme if you are unable to get it.

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    2. thanks Marie I will look for it and if not use the Marjoram and thyme.

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    3. You might be able to get just savory. Summer Savory is very much a maritime thing Pammie! But those other two herbs make a great substitution.xo

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  5. Is there a substitute for vegetable suet? I am not sure I can get it here in the US. Looks like a greta family meal!

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    1. Its really delicious Denise. You can freeze butter or shortening and grate it into the flour mixture instead of suet. The shortening will be closer to the suet, but the butter will be richer. Both will be tasty. xo

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  6. I had leftover roast chicken from yesterday's "Sunday Roast" and I used it to make this for dinner today. I love recipes like this and it was something I grew up with - the whole repurposing of leftover roast to make another meal. Though in those days, it was never roast chicken as that was a really expensive meal that we ate only once a year.

    I've made a version of "Shepherd's Pie" with leftover chicken, topped with mashed potato, but never tried it with dumplings. The addition of mushrooms and bacon was great as they go so well together. I used a mix of thyme, sage and marjoram in place of the summer savory and that was perfect as it replicates the flavour of stuffing.

    We ate ours with peas, carrots and cauliflower (no potatoes as I thought there was already enough carbs in the dumplings). Delicious!

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    1. Thanks so much Marie. This really is a little gem of a recipe and works well with any kind of leftover poultry. Your dinner sounds really nice! Sage is a wonderful addition! You are right, that would taste very much like stuffing! Now I am drooling and its only 6 am! xoxo

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