Dear Cornbread Diaries...

How embarrassing is it when company asks, "Where's the dumplings?" Nothing makes me more mad than when time comes to serve the homemade pot of chicken and dumplings and there are no dumplings to be found. Just a thickened pot of stewed chicken, veggies, and broth! But, that was then and this is now...as Oprah says...you do better when you know better. And, these days I am so excited about knowing how to make the perfect pot of chicken and plumped up dumplings. The secret ingredient is yellow corn meal, of course!

How to make the perfect be here now dumplings with your perfect stewed chicken & veggies:
Have a simmering pot of stewed and deboned chicken on hand with your fave veggies and broth
For the dumplings:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1 heaping tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons of fresh minced parsley

1. Sift together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the half and half and stir gently to combine.
3. Drop dumplings by the heaping tablespoonful into the simmering pot of stewed deboned chicken, veggies, and broth.
4. Add minced parsley and half cover to simmer for about 15 minutes
5. Check seasonings and wait 15 minutes to serve...no more 'where's the dumplings' humiliation!

Until next time...Love, Di