chicken & dumplings...soup.

foreward:
as i opened up the cookbook to type out this recipe i came to the realization that this was a soup recipe. somehow, yesterday as i made this, i neglected to read the word 'soup.' if you ask me, it's more of a stoup {if you have ever watched rachael ray you know that a stoup is a stew/soup combo}. anyways, it's delicious and i want you to get out your crockpot and make this, please.

i'm really sorry about the sloppiness of this photo. i didn't think to take a picture until my SECOND helping. whoops.

chicken & dumpling soup
{from stephanie o'dea's book, "make it fast, cook it slow"}

ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken - i used just over 2 lbs. of good sized chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped - i used 1 package of already sliced white button 'shrooms
16 oz. frozen veggies - i used a carrot, corn & green bean mix
2 (10.5 oz.) cans of cream-of-something soup - the actual recipe lists an alternative soup recipe if you're so inclined to make your own but i used two cans of cream of chicken & mushroom from that "mmm, mmm good!" brand.
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits

method:
use a 4-quart slow cooker {mine is about 6-quarts and it worked just fine for this recipe}. put the chicken & the veggies into the bottom of the stoneware insert. add the cream-of soups. cover & cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

an hour before serving, shred the chicken with two large forks and drop in the biscuit dough. cover & cook on high for another hour. the dumplings are done when a knife is easily inserted and comes out clean. the dumplings will be spongy and will brown a bit on the sides & top. serve in bowls with a dumpling or two per person.

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this was a HIT! this couldn't have been any easier to prep. the house smelled yummy while it cooked. and, the end result was - by far - the best slow cooker chicken & dumplings recipe i've ever tried. mine did not have a soupy consistency, but it was still delicious nonetheless. i do recommend seasoning before serving as it did have a bland taste, but it was nothing a little salt & white pepper couldn't fix. like i said earlier, i had TWO servings. aidan did, too. we're a family of four and we got six servings for dinner and one very generous serving for lunch out of the whole dish.