Chicken & Dumplings

• 2 tbl butter
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 heaping tbl flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 cup broccoli florets, optional
• 2/3 cup bisquick baking mix
• 3 tbl milk
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces

Soup:

In dutch oven melt butter, add onion, celery and carrots. Stir and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of flour to onion mixture. Stir to incorporate flour and onion mixture, and cook for about 2 minutes to cook out flour taste. Slowly add chicken broth, (and chicken bouillon if using) stirring constantly. Add broccoli florets if using. Bring liquid to a boil. Meanwhile make your dumpling dough while soup is coming to a boil.

Dumplings: *** I double dumpling recipe

Mix according to directions on bisquick box: Stir 2/3 cup bisquick and 3 tablespoons milk in a bowl. ONLY MIX about 4 or 5 stirs, because you do not want to over mix the dough. Over mixing makes them tough. Drop by heaping teaspoons full (they will expand when cooking) onto boiling liquid. Cover immediately and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. (you are "steaming" the dumplings giving them a more fluffy texture.) Uncover and simmer another 5 minutes. Add cut up chicken. I add a few shakes of black pepper and dried parsley. Serve.