Pretty much everyone loves chicken and dumplings.   And almost everyone loves Mexican food.  So why not combine the two and come up with a welcomed departure from the norm?  I couldn’t come up with a good answer as to why I shouldn’t either, so I went ahead and made this for dinner last week.   A seriously easy recipe to prep for and it’s even faster to put together.  Comfort food, Southwestern flare, fast/easy prep and it comes together quickly?  Um, SCORE!!

You have to agree that makes this recipe a winner on all fronts.  I’m a bit reluctant to share that I’ve never made chicken and dumplings.  I have no excuses.  Actually, I have TONS of excuses, but none of them are any good.  Having never made chicken and dumplings, I’m not sure if this recipe is missing something.  What do you typically serve along with chicken and dumplings?  Aside from the chicken in this dish, we’re talking happy carb overload here and some type of veggie related side dish is in order.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good carbfest from time to time, but other than a salad, which quite frankly I’ve had my fill of the past 3 weeks, I thought this dish needed something on the side.  I would love to hear from all my readers a few suggestions as to what could go along with this dish.  I welcome suggestions and would love to hear whatever you’ve got!  I was thinking of a pablano pepper and corn “hash”…but corn is a starchy vegetable, and this dish has enough of that already.  What do you think?  What do you serve with chicken and dumplings?  Do you have a favorite Mexican side dish?

I enjoyed the flavor and the mild heat of this dish, and the cornbread dumplings are also very tasty.  They sort of steam cook, so although they do suck up some of the “gravy”, they are also rather light and fluffy.  I was impressed anyway.   I believe you’ll enjoy this creamy, saucy dish with the fluffy cornbread bites of joy!  I made the dumplings small enough for about two bites.  I thought smaller would be better.  I also wanted to make sure they’d cook through.

Depending on which brand of organic Salsa Verde you buy will impact how this tastes.  I made my own using green tomatillos, lime, cilantro, garlic, Serrano and jalapeno peppers, water, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper.  I didn’t think to take a picture of it for a post, so next time I make some, I’ll do that so I can share the exact recipe.  Try to find an organic brand of jarred Salsa Verde if you cannot or don’t want to make your own.  If you are unable to find an organic brand, look for a high quality (normally more expensive, but worth it) jarred Salsa Verde that doesn’t contain any ingredients from known GMO crops.  Which crops are GMO?  Click HERE to find out.  You could also search for brands that don’t contain GMOs at the grocery store at the Non-GMO Project website.  I love Non-GMO Project!

I halved this recipe and there was more than enough for two meals for the two of us.  We are eating smaller portions, so you may want to stick to the recipe as I’ve written it which will serve 4-6, but the servings will be a bit larger.  I also roasted 2 bone in, skin on chicken thighs and 1 bone in, skin on chicken breast for this recipe.  I simply seasoned them with S&P, drizzled on a little olive oil and roasted them in a 375 degree oven until cooked through.  Let them cool to room temp, removed meat from the bones, tossed the skin and cut into bite sized pieces.  A rotisserie chicken would work fine in this dish if you don’t want to roast your own chicken, or don’t have any cooked chicken on hand.  Roasting the chicken lends SO much flavor to this dish.

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 Chicken Salsa Verde with Cornbread Dumplings

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:

• 4 TB unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup AP flour
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock (if you buy boxed stock/broth look for one that doesn’t contain MSG or other hidden forms of it like Yeast Extract and Natural Flavors)
• 2 cups organic jarred Salsa Verde (16 ounces)
• 2/3 cup half and half
• 5 cups cooked chicken, diced into 1″ cubes
• Salt to taste- if needed

For the Cornbread:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 TB unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 TB baking powder
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet (Do NOT use non-stick) over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux.  Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.  Slowly add the chicken stock and whisk until smooth, ensuring no lumps form.  Stir in the Salsa Verde, the half and half and whisk constantly until thick and bubbly.  Stir in the chicken and reduce heat to simmer to keep warm.
2. For the cornbread: Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until melted and the milk begins to scald (don’t let it boil). Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and mix with a fork.  Pour in the milk mixture and stir to form a sticky dough.  Drop spoonfuls (I used a small scoop) of dough into the skillet with the chicken mixture.
3. Move skillet to the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cornbread dumplings are cooked through and the edges are GBD (Golden Brown Delicious).

TA-DA! …

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