Easy Chicken and Dumplings in the Crockpot

Is everyone up to their eyeballs in cooking and baking and wrapping and all that comes along with the Christmas season?!  Not to mention my kids aren't even out of school yet.  They go until WEDNESDAY!  How freakin' ridiculous.  So it's still the usual routine, on top of everything else.  And teacher gifts....well, that's another post.  I hope they aren't expecting a whole lot, b/c Christmas has just come much to fast for me this year!  So, my point to this little rant is this - we're busy.  But we still gotta eat.  And even though I could get by with a bowl of cereal, my kids generally expect a little more.

I figured this would be a good time to share this super easy, yet pretty darn tasty, Chicken and 'Dumplings', made right in the crockpot - or slowcooker - whatever floats your boat.

Ok, so it doesn't look like much...but it's comfort in a bowl.  The trick is, one, it all cooks in the slow cooker and two, the dumplings are actually flour tortillas!  No rolling out dough, or preparing Anne's - nope, just slice up some tortillas and you're golden.  I first saw this idea over at Eat at Home.  I was intrigued since we love chicken and dumplings, but I've never wanted to mess with making dumplings from scratch.  This allowed us to have a warm, yummy meal with minimal effort.  I love minimal effort.

Chicken and Dumplings in the Slow Cooker from Eat at Home

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken tenders (can start these from frozen)
• 6 carrots, about 1 lb., sliced *I omitted
• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped *I omitted
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup *I used 'homemade' - recipe follows
• 2 cans chicken broth 
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 flour tortillas, cut into squares
• 1 Tbs. flour

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place chicken tenders in slow cooker, either thawed or frozen.
2. Add carrots and celery to slow cooker.
3. Stir cream soup, chicken broth, milk, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper together. Pour over other ingredients in crock.
4. Cook on high 7-8 hours.
5. Remove chicken and chop or pull apart with 2 forks.
6. Toss flour tortilla pieces with flour. Stir into soup 30 minutes before serving.

My notes -  I had cooked chicken breast in the freezer, as well as broth, so I used that.  I omitted the carrots and celery, b/c I've never had that in my chicken & dumplings (or "pastry" as we like to call it down South!).  I also have started using a homemade version of cream of chicken.  I think it's less carbs, but I don't know for sure.  I need to look that up.  I found it on Pinterest.

Cream of Chicken Soup from One Orange Giraffe

1 cup non-fat dried milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup bouillon (if you have cubes you have to smash them up)
    You can use whatever kind you like (ie, beef, veggie) *I used chicken

4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions *I used 2 T.

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon pepper

(For the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup, mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water. Cook until thick)

So there you go.  Free up your oven and stove top for all those Christmas goodies, and free up your time by using the crock pot, and still have a nice warm meal on the table for the fam. I know, right?!  My awesomeness amazes me too sometimes.  hahaha.  

Seriously - my awesomeness needs some work.  I haven't baked hardly anything.  I've only wrapped a small portion of my gifts (and the dog PEED on the first two, so I had to start over....I know, gross. But in my world, there is always piss, poop or vomit involved somewhere.) and did I mention my kids are STILL in school?!  Yeah, I'm nuts.

'fa la la la la, la la, la, la'


I'm linking up with these folks today....

 The Ease of Freeze