Recipe #60 - Chicken and Dumplings

It was a perfect fall day, and I needed some comfort food.  So I turned to my handy, dandy cookbook and this beauty appeared!  I happened to have everything that I needed and went to work on a yummy dinner just as a fall storm started to blow in.  I couldn't have timed it better.

Chicken and Dumplings can be found on page 104, and it doesn't appear to be listed on the Our Best Bites website.

You start by sauteing the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes.

Then you add the chicken broth, chicken, bay, leaf, and basil.  Bring to a boil.

Then you add the carrots and celery.  (HINT:  Have all your veggies chopped and ready to go before you even start.  The chicken needs to be cooked and cut up too.  I just happened to do this, and I think I would have timed things poorly if I hadn't.)

Cook until the veggies are tender.

Next add in the parsley.  Fresh or dried works just fine.

Then you stir in a can of evaporated milk.  I used the fat free kind.  Just because it is "comfort food" doesn't mean that it has to be fattening.

Next you mix up a batch of Bisquik biscuit dough.  (I used skim milk on these.)

While the soup is boiling, you drop the dough in by the spoonful.

Then the recipe says to cook until the dumplings "have cooked through".  I had no idea how long that would take, so I consulted the Bisquik box.  On the recipe for dumplings, it tells you to cook them uncovered for 10 minutes and then cover and cook for another 10 minutes.  That's just what I did and the timing was perfect.

It was crazy hot when it was done cooking, so plan a little time for it to cool off.

It may not look super fancy or delicious, but it totally hit the spot.  My youngest did NOT want to even try it, but I told her to just try a dumpling to see if she'd like it.  She tried them and liked them, which led to eating most of her bowl.  My son had seconds and my hubby complimented it several times during dinner.  My pickiest eater was gone tonight, so we don't have a report from her.  But it was a hit for sure.  Give it a try at your house and let me know what your family thinks!

Recipe #55 - Smoky Bean Soup with Ham and Bacon

Growing up, my very favorite soup was Campbell's Bean and Bacon.  My mom didn't buy it very often but I always got excited when I saw it in the pantry.  In fact, when I went to college I bought it all winter long -- a quick and easy meal for a poor student.  When I got married, I made it once or twice for my husband, only to find out that he didn't really like it.  I don't know that I've bought it more than once or twice in the last 14 years because of that.

When I got this cookbook, I saw that recipe, drooled a little bit, and figured that I probably would never make it.  I didn't think my family would like it.  Well, this blog project got started and guess who made Bean and Bacon soup?!  Me.

You can find this recipe on page 101 or online here.

You start by cutting your bacon into bite-sized pieces and cooking it in a stockpot.  (You make the soup in the same pot, so plan accordingly.)

Get the bacon nice and crispy.  Then drain on paper towels.

Using a little bit of the bacon grease, you saute the onions and garlic.

Then you stir in the ham, beans, paprika, and salt.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Next you take 3 cups of the soup and put it into the blender.  Make sure that you don't put the lid on tight.  The steam needs to be able to escape.

You pour this back into the soup and give it a good stir.  This helps to thicken the soup up a little bit.

You can add a little salt and pepper to taste, and dinner is served!

Did my family like it, you ask?  Well, they were split on this one.  I loved it even more than the Campbell's version.  My husband totally shocked me when he said that he loved it.  My son gobbled up his entire bowl without a single complaint.  (Today's miracle!)

Then...there were my girls.  They weren't fans.  But there was one thing that they did love about the soup -- making faces in the pot.

 

She reminds me a little bit of Pascal from Tangled...

This went one for quite some time.  Glad they enjoyed something about the soup.