Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Salsa Verde Chicken and Dumplings


Nothing says comfort food like chicken and dumplings.  And nothing makes me drool quite like Mexican food.  Combine the two?  You have a truly awesome dinner.  After hearing Tara rave over Pam Anderson's Perfect One-Dish Dinners, I "looked inside" on Amazon, and knew I had to have it.  There were several recipes that I knew we would love right off the bat.  I ordered it right then and there - this was the first recipe I made from it, and we went nuts over it.

It has the creamy, comforting essence of chicken and dumplings, but the flavors are kicked up a notch by the addition of salsa verde and lots of fresh herbs.  The dumplings are soft and flavorful:  they are made with a mixture of cornmeal and flour, and they are peppered with cilantro and scallions.  The stew tastes bright and fresh thanks to the salsa verde.  I also added some onions and corn for more veggie power.

And the best part of this recipe?  Its on the table in under an hour.  I probably made things more complicated than they needed to be, first by making my own salsa verde, and then by adding extra veggies, but for a dinner as homey and comforting as this, I don't mind the extra work.


One Year Ago:  Fettuccine Alfredo




Salsa Verde Dumplings with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings
adapted from Pam Anderson, Perfect One-Dish Dinners
serves 6
  • 1/2 stick (4 Tbs) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
  • 1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
  • 2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde, homemade or store bought
  • 1 can (5-ounces) evaporated milk
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat deboned (about 6 cups)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 scallions, minced
  • kosher salt and black pepper
Dumplings
  • 1 cup milk (low-fat is fine)
  • 3 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 Tbs baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Heat the butter over medium heat in a large ovenproof skillet.  Add the onions and cook until softened, 5-8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Whisk in the flour to make a paste.  Mix the broth, salsa verde, and evaporated milk in a medium bowl and whisk into the skillet all at once.

Whisk, vigorously at first, until the mixture simmers and thickens to a sauce consistency.  Stir in the corn, chicken, and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Heat through, remove from heat, and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

To make the dumplings, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until steaming.  Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl with a fork.  Stir in the milk mixture to form a smooth, firm dough.

Use a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough from the bowl and drop onto chicken mixture.  Return the skillet to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Cover and transfer the pan to the oven.  Bake until the dumplings are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Serve.


19 comments:

Blog is the New Black said...

These sound delicious. I love this idea- I'm adding it to my 2011 cooking list!

Anonymous said...

I got this book for Christmas and am loving it. This recipe, in particular, was a hit, but the salsa we used was just a hair too spicy. I wish you would have used a brand you could recommend.

Josie said...

Anonymous,
Sorry! The great thing about making your own salsa is that you can control the spice level. I do actually like salsa from Trader Joe's though!

Joanne said...

Mexican combined with comfort? Is there any downside to this meal at all?? Sounds amazing!

kokocooks said...

I'm with you. I love Mexican flavors and I love chicken and dumplings. Will definitely try this.

Unknown said...

This looks super good and filling, my hubby would so approve.

Tara @ Smells Like Home said...

this looks amazing, Josie, and is one of the recipes I've been dying to try. so glad you love the book so far - i knew you would!

Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes said...

Well maybe now that you have it I won't have to get it :) I love her book "How to Cook without a Book," it is amazing!

Anonymous said...

Gosh, this is completely my idea of the perfect comfort food...adding it to the list of things I want to make the next time we get a blizzard...

Jey said...

wow, this looks amazingly delicious!

ashley said...

this recipe looks fantastic!!

Unknown said...

I tagged this awhile ago and now that is is snowing and they are calling for a blizzard I figured it was the perfect meal for tonight. It was amazing! Thanks so much for posting.

Nikki said...

My husband and I made this recipe while we were snowed in this week. I really liked the flavor of the "soup", but our dumplings turned out really firm, not soft. Not sure what we did wrong. It was still good. I assume the corn meal gets mixed in the flour & other dry ingredients? I love your Mexican themed recipes. Keep them coming!

June said...

We had a version of this last night for dinner and it was fantastic! It is perfect cold weather food. Thanks so much for the inspiration.

KB said...

So looking forward to making this during this week!

Marianne said...

I made this the other night for dinner and we really enjoyed it. So tasty and comforting! Thanks for the recipe!

Ana said...

The flavors were fantastic - I love the additions you made to the original recipe. Thanks!

Ana said...

Josie - I've been very happy with the Frontera/Rick Bayless Salsa Verde Enchilada sauce in the pouch and the jar (I prefer the pouch) compared to other brands. So, when I can't get tomatillos (lucky you in a big city! :)), they're a great substitute.

Josie said...

Thanks Ana, I'll have to remember that if I can't find tomatillos!

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