This Chicken And Dumplings stew is easy to prepare all in one pot! A flavour-packed chicken casserole that’s hearty AND healthy – basically your perfect chicken dinner. For an added touch of comfort I have added fluffy homemade herby dumplings which cook in the stew.
Looking for more SW Chicken Recipes? Try my Chicken Jalfrezi
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Is there anything more comforting than chicken and dumplings? Ummm no! The best bit of this easy chicken casserole is that it virtually cooks itself.
Fry a few onions, add some vegetables, chicken and stock and then sit back and let it cook slowly. The only bit of effort requires is to throw together these fluffy dumplings… but these are optional 😉
Hearty Chicken and Dumplings Stew
This old-fashioned chicken casserole contains a medley of vegetables, chicken, stock and a little mustard for flavour. It really could not be simpler to make!
I use chicken breasts to keep this low fat and healthy but you can also use skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Onions, garlic, leeks and celery are the cornerstone veggies in this stew. I have also added potatoes for heartiness and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables for ease!
If you would rather use fresh vegetables only then read the recipe variation in the card at the end of the post. This is especially important if you want to freeze this dish.
For a more indulgent chicken stew (sadly this is not Slimming World friendly…) take a look at my popular One-Pot Creamy Chicken Casserole!
A lot of recipes use store-bought ingredients such as cream of chicken soup or ready made dumpling mix. This recipe is all from scratch but couldn’t be easier!
The dumplings are made with self raising flour, fat free yogurt, a little grated Parmesan, herbs and seasonings.
Casserole Vs stew
The million dollar question (not really). So a casserole is typically cooked in the oven where the heat circulates inside the lidded casserole dish.
A stew on the other hand is simmered slowly on the hob… but other than that there really isn’t much of a difference and terms are often used interchangeably. I think casserole sounds a bit fancier, don’t you?
You will need a lidded casserole dish that’s also oven safe (a.k.a Dutch Oven) whether it’s a casserole or a stew you are making. I love my Le Creuset casserole, but for a more budget friendly option go for this MasterClass Cast Aluminium Casserole Dish.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
STEP 1. Spritz a lidded casserole dish with olive oil or low calorie cooking spray such as Fry light.
STEP 2. Add the onions, garlic, leeks, celery and potatoes and stir for a few minutes over medium heat. Add a splash of hot chicken stock if the pan gets too hot and dry.
STEP 3. Stir in the Dijon mustard.
STEP 4. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
STEP 5. Season with salt and pepper, add a sprig of rosemary and two bay leaves and finally the stock (a.k.a chicken broth). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
STEP 6. Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings: combine flour, herbs, Parmesan, salt and garlic granules in a bowl.
STEP 7. Stir in the yogurt and then use your hands to briefly knead in the bowl until the dough comes together. Add a little water if it’s too dry and crumbly.
STEP 8. Divide the dough into 8 portions (or six) and roll into balls.
STEP 9. Uncover the pot and stir in the mixed frozen vegetables (I used peas, corn, carrots and green beans).
STEP 10. Add the cornflour (cornstarch) diluted in a little cold water and stir it in. Pop the dumplings on top of the stew.
STEP 11. Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes until the dumplings are plump and cooked through.
STEP 12. Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Scatter with chopped parsley or rosemary and serve.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
This recipe is easily converted to become a slow cooker chicken casserole! Add all the ingredients apart from the frozen vegetables into your slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for three hours on HIGH (or up to 7 hours on LOW).
Uncover and stir in the frozen vegetables. Pop the dumplings on top, cover and cook for another hour on HIGH, or until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through.
Can I freeze this casserole?
This recipe is suitable for freezing if you leave out the frozen vegetables and without the dumplings. Replace the frozen vegetables with fresh (see recipe card notes). Cool completely and portion into suitable freezer containers for up to two months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove until the dish is hot all the way through before serving.
Make it into a Pie!
Replace the potatoes in stew with butternut squash. Top with mashed potatoes and bake – see quantities and instructions in my recent SW Cottage Pie post.
Alternatively transfer the COOLED chicken stew to an ovenproof dish, allowing for a small gap at the top. Beat an egg with one teaspoon milk.
Moisten the edge with the beaten egg and top with ready rolled puff pastry. Press the edges to seal and brush with remaining egg wash. Cut a small slit at the top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 200C /400G for 25-30 minutes until golden.
SW Chicken Casserole
This recipe is (practically) FREE on SW – technically it’s 2 syns thanks to the cornflour but divided by four servings it’s only .5 syns.
The dumplings do have a few syns – 125g flour is 22.5 syns in whole dish, divided by 8 it’s almost 3 per dumpling. The small amount of Parmesan cheese in them is a healthy extra. These are totally optional however and if I am honest I mostly added them for the benefit of my children.
To make this recipe suitable for Extra Easy SP, replace the potatoes with butternut squash and leave out the peas (in the frozen vegetables).
There’s 17 Smart Points if you allow two dumplings per serving. Without the dumplings it is 8 SmartPoints per serving.
Serving suggestions
This meal is a one-pot wonder – everything you require to serve it with is cooked right in the stew. If you wanted to add some extra vegetables serve with steamed green beans or broccoli.
Comforting Casserole Recipes
DID YOU MAKE MY CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPE? I’D LOVE TO SEE IT! Snap a photo, add hashtag #supergoldenbakes and tag @supergolden88 on INSTAGRAM
Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
For the chicken casserole
- Olive oil or low calorie cooking spray
- 4 large chicken breasts or 8 skinless chicken thighs , cubed
- 2 onions , diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 leeks , white parts only, diced
- 2 celery sticks , diced
- 450 g | 1 lb potatoes , peeled and cubed
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 630 ml | 2 ⅔ cups chicken stock made with 2 stock cubes
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- 450 g | 1 lb mixed frozen vegetables (peas, corn, carrots etc)
- 1 tbsp cornflour diluted in 1 tbsp cold water , to thicken stew
- Salt and pepper to season , to taste
- Chopped parsley or rosemary to garnish optional
For the dumplings
- 125 g | 1 cup self raising flour
- 125 g | ½ cup fat free yogurt
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or chives
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan (healthy extra)
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- ½ tsp salt
- A little water , if needed, to bind
Instructions
Hob Method
- Spritz a lidded casserole dish with olive oil or low calorie cooking spray such as Fry light.
- Add the onions, garlic, leeks, celery and potatoes and stir for a few minutes. Add a splash of hot chicken stock if the pan gets too hot and dry.
- Stir in the mustard. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
- Add the salt and a few turns of the pepper mill, a sprig of rosemary and two bay leaves and finally the stock (a.k.a chicken broth).
- Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on the hob over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare the dumplings: combine flour, herbs, Parmesan, salt and garlic granules in a bowl.
- Stir in the yoghurt and then use your hands to briefly knead in the bowl until the dough comes together. Add a little water if it’s too dry and crumbly.
- Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll into balls.
- Uncover the pot and stir in the mixed frozen vegetables (I used peas, corn, carrots and green beans).
- Add the cornflour slurry and stir it in. Pop the dumplings on top of the stew.
- Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes until the dumplings are plump and cooked through.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Scatter with chopped parsley or rosemary and serve.
Slow Cooker Method
- Add all the ingredients apart from the frozen vegetables into your slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for three hours on HIGH (or up to 7 hours on LOW).
- Uncover and stir in the frozen vegetables. Pop the dumplings on top, cover and cook for another hour on HIGH or until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary. Check the seasoning, add chopped herbs and serve.
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