Chicken & Black Pepper Dumplings

Comfort in one pot, on the table in about twenty minutes. A creamy base of chicken, peas, carrots and cream soup comes together fast, especially if you start with leftover or rotisserie chicken, then the dumplings cook right on top.

The black pepper is the small twist that makes these dumplings worth talking about. Stirred into the baking-mix dough, it gives each pillowy dumpling a gentle, peppery warmth that plays against the creamy sauce underneath.

The two-stage cooking is the technique to nail: ten minutes uncovered lets the dumpling bottoms set in the simmering liquid, then ten minutes covered steams the tops through, so they come out fluffy rather than gummy. Resist lifting the lid during that second stretch.

Using buttermilk in the dough adds a subtle tang and a tender crumb. A sprinkle of parsley at the end brightens the bowl.

Pro Tips

• Cook uncovered first, then covered, exactly as written; the steam in the second stage is what cooks the dumpling tops.
• Don’t peek under the lid while the dumplings steam, or they can deflate.
• Keep it at a gentle simmer; a hard boil breaks the dumplings apart.
• Use rotisserie or leftover chicken to get this on the table fastest.

Variations

• Stir a handful of corn or green beans in with the peas and carrots.
• Add a pinch of poultry seasoning or thyme to the dough.
• Use cream of chicken or cream of celery soup in place of mushroom.