Crock-Pot Chicken & Cornmeal Dumplings

So Lewis and I just recently discovered the magical ways of the crock-pot.

We had actually received said crock-pot for our wedding over a year ago (yipes) but it never worked and I never got around to returning it until we moved to Houston. Luckily Target is awesome and let us exchange it and I have pretty much been trying to convert every meal into a one pot deal ever since - you could say I'm obsessed, I'd like to think of it as "innovative."

This recipe is a bowl full of comfort and it's SO easy to make, it's sort of like a cross between chicken soup and a roasted chicken. I also decided to try something new and add cornmeal because I love the added texture that grounded cornmeal provides, and I feel like it prevents it from getting overly soggy.

Chicken & Cornmeal Dumplings

Recipe adapted from Diabetic Living

serves 2-3

5 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme (I used German thyme)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 chicken thighs, skinned
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 TBS all-purpose flour

1.In a 1 1/2- or 2-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, corn, onion, garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with chicken. Pour broth over mixture in cooker.
2.Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. If no heat setting is available, cook for 5 to 5 1/2 hours.
3.If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting (or if no heat setting is available, continue cooking). Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken off bones (if they had bones); discard bones. Chop chicken; return to mixture in cooker. In a small bowl, combine milk and flour until smooth. Stir into mixture in cooker.
4.Using a 1 TBS cookie scoop, drop Cornmeal Dumpling dough into 4-5 mounds on top of hot chicken mixture. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. (Do not lift cover during cooking.) If desired, sprinkle each serving with coarse pepper.

Cornmeal Dumplings

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash salt
1 egg white
1 TBS milk
1 TBS canola oil

1.In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl combine egg white, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Here are some other crock pot meals from some of my favorite foodie bloggers that I plan to try soon!

Crockpot Crispy Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup - Half Baked Harvest
General Tso's Chicken - Creme de la Crumb
Cinnamon roll monkey bread - Crazy for Crust