🧾 Ingredients
Chicken Base
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
Creamy Factor
- 1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
OR - 1/2 cup heavy cream + 2 tbsp flour (homemade option)
Dumplings (easy shortcut)
- 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (Grands or similar)
OR - 2 cups homemade biscuit dough
Cut into small pieces.
🔥 Step 1 – Load the Slow Cooker
Add:
- chicken
- broth
- water
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- seasonings
Stir lightly.
Cover.
Cook:
Low → 6–7 hours
High → 3–4 hours
Your house will smell insanely good already.
🍗 Step 2 – Shred the Chicken
Remove chicken.
Shred with forks.
Return shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
Now it looks thick and hearty like your photo.
🥣 Step 3 – Make It Creamy
Stir in:
- cream of chicken soup
OR - cream + flour mix
Let cook 10–15 minutes.
Broth transforms into thick creamy gravy.
This is where the magic happens ✨
🥟 Step 4 – Add Dumplings
Cut biscuit dough into small pieces (bite size).
Drop directly into the hot stew.
Don’t stir too much.
Cover and cook:
High → 60–90 minutes
Dumplings puff up big and fluffy.
They should look soft and pillowy, not doughy.
🍽️ Step 5 – Serve
Scoop big bowls.
Top with:
- parsley
- black pepper
- little butter
Eat hot.
Prepare for instant happiness.
😍 What It Tastes Like
Rich
Creamy
Buttery
Savory
Soft dumplings
Tender chicken
Basically like:
Chicken pot pie… but easier and cozier.
Every spoonful is creamy comfort.
💡 Pro Tips (Huge Difference)
1. Use thighs for juicier flavor
They don’t dry out.
2. Don’t stir dumplings too much
Let them steam or they get dense.
3. Want thicker?
Add 1 tbsp cornstarch slurry.
4. Want extra rich?
Add butter at the end.
5. Add veggies last 2 hours if you want firmer texture
🔥 Fun Variations
Cheesy
Add 1 cup shredded cheddar
Herb Style
Fresh thyme + parsley
Spicy
Add cayenne or hot sauce
Mushroom Lover
Add sliced mushrooms
From Scratch Dumplings
Mix:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup milk
Drop spoonfuls into stew
🥡 Storage
Fridge:
4 days
Freezer:
2–3 months (without dumplings is best)
Reheat gently with splash of milk/broth.
❤️ Why Everyone Loves This
Because it tastes like:
Grandma cooked all day…
but you barely worked 10 minutes 😄
Warm. Creamy. Filling. Cozy.
It’s the kind of meal that fixes bad days.