Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings is an excellent comfort food, and to make it even easier, I make mine in the crockpot!

1 whole precooked rotisserie chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
64 ounces homemade (or 2 32-ounce boxes) chicken broth
3 to 4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 of a large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. baby carrots (optional - I like to quarter mine so they're bite-size)
2 cans refrigerated biscuits, not the giant ones (I get the cheap four-can pack of buttermilk biscuits from Wal Mart)

This works best in a very large crock pot, but can be halved for smaller ones.

Prepare the chicken by picking all the meat off the bones and coarsely chopping/dicing into bite-sized pieces, then arrange meat in the bottom of the crock pot (you could also cook about three seasoned chicken breasts in a little olive oil in a skillet, then dice and add to the pot). At this point, you can take all the bones, skin, and stuff from the chicken and put it all in a deep casserole dish, fill with about 64 ounces water, then cover and microwave for about 15 minutes. Cool, strain, and use as your broth, or freeze for later. Add all the rest of the ingredients except cream of chicken soup and biscuits to the pot. Season according to your tastes (I like about 1 tsp. each of salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme and oregano). Cook on high for about 5 1/2 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add both cans cream of chicken soup and stir until well incorporated. Quarter each biscuit and add to the pot, stir gently (they’ll all float on top), and continue to cook on high for another 30 minutes until biscuits are cooked through and fluffy.

If you want to cook on the stovetop: Saute onion, celery, and garlic in skillet until tender. Put all ingredients except cream of chicken soup and biscuits in a large stew pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are cooked through, about 30 minutes or so. Then add both cans cream of chicken soup and stir until well incorporated. Quarter each biscuit and add to the pot, stir gently, and continue to simmer until biscuits are cooked through and fluffy.