Chicken and Dumplings

These are, the best chicken and dumplings, I have ever eaten. Sorry Mom. I still love yours, but these are a completely different animal. Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman, this soup is hearty, flavorful, and the dumplings are oh so fluffy. These chicken and dumplings are so good it's ridiculous. I would eat them once a week until I got tired of them if my husband would let me. But I don't think he will, so I'll just make them a couple of times a month and call it even.

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Chicken Thighs
2 Chicken Breast
Salt And Pepper
½ cups Finely Diced Carrots
½ cups Finely Diced Celery
1 medium onion, diced
½ tsp Ground Thyme
¼ tsp Turmeric
6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ cups Apple Cider
½ cups Heavy Cream

Dumplings:
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ cups cornmeal
1 tbs (heaping) baking powder
1 tsp salt
1-½ cup Half-and-half
2 tbs parsley
salt to taste

1. Skin chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.

2. In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.

4. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.

5. Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add minced parsley if using. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.