Easy chicken casserole and dumplings

Chicken casserole & dumplings

Serves 4 people

We're creeping into autumn here in the UK, as the temperature drops and the school term looms on the horizon.

My favourite part about this season is the comforting one pot meals that warm you up on a chilly evening. Soups, stews, traybakes - not only are they delicious but they save on the washing up!

This recipe for chicken casserole is simple and very adaptable - you can chop fresh veg if you have the energy, or you can do as I did and use pre-chopped frozen veg. I used my electric pressure cooker, but it works just as well in a slow cooker or the oven.

Ingredients

For the casserole:

600g skinless and boneless chicken thighs. Mine were used straight from the freezer, as it is safe to do so with a pressure cooker. Please don't do this if you are using a slow cooker.

Roughly half a packet of frozen casserole veg OR 500g of chopped fresh veg - carrots, swede, turnip, potato and celery all work well. 

A handful or two of frozen sliced leeks or half a fresh one. You could use half an onion if you prefer.

1 tsp of frozen chopped garlic or one fresh clove, minced. 

1 litre of chicken stock

3 tsp cornflour

A handful of herbs - I used fresh rosemary and thyme but dried or frozen would work fine.

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the dumplings:

150g self raising flour

75g suet

A pinch of salt & pepper

A sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

Approx 8 tbsp of cold water

Method

For the casserole:

Gently sweat the leeks or onions on a low heat in a tbsp of oil for five minutes, or until starting to soften - either in a frying pan, a hob safe casserole pan or with the browning function on your pressure cooker. 

Add the veg and cook for another two minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the garlic and gently cook for a further minute.

Transfer everything to the pot you'll be cooking in, if it's not there already. 

Add the chicken thighs and enough stock to cover everything.

Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste and stir into the pot. 

Add your herbs and a little salt and pepper - you can always add more later.

Cooking times:

Electric pressure cooker - 1 hour on stew function

Slow cooker - 7-8 hours on low

Oven - two hours at 180 degrees

 

Once your casserole is cooked you may need to transfer it to an oven proof dish to cook the dumplings, if it's not already in one. If you used a slow cooker or pressure cooker you might find you need to add a little more cornflour (mixed with water) to thicken.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Put the casserole in the oven (if it isn't already). The liquid should be bubbling before you add the dumplings.

For the dumplings:

Mix together the flour, suet and seasonings. 

Add most of the water and mix briefly to combine, adding more if needed. It is very important not to overwork it. The dough should be slightly sticky but able to hold a dumpling shape. 

Once the casserole is bubbling hot, carefully take it out of the oven. It's best to work quickly here if you can

 

Using a spoon, roughly shape the mixture into 8 medium dumplings or 6 large ones, adding them to the pot as you go.

Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes until your dumplings are crisp on top and fluffy underneath.

Serve it up just as it is, or with some crusty bread or creamy mashed potato on the side. 

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