Chicken and Dumplings...The Good Ones

2 chicken breasts diced into bite size pieces
2 small onions diced
4 cloves garlic minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 bay leaves
pinches of thyme, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, chicken seasoning.
2 cups bisquick
2/3 cups milk

Saute onion and garlic in large stock pot for 5 minutes, until onions are clear.  Add chicken stock, soup, seasonings and chicken and bring to a boil.  Simmer 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  While the chicken is cooking mix bisquick and milk in a separate bowl.  mix until a dough is made, add a little bisquick if it is too sticky or more milk if it is to dry.  Spoon small ball of dough directly into boiling soup and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes.  Test by cutting a dumpling in half, it should look like a biscuit on the inside when they are done.  You can also spruce it up by adding celery, carrots, and peas.  Just saute those with the onions in the beginning.  If the mixture is too thick add more chicken stock, Too thin add more dumplings.

As a note this receipe can easily be adjusted to feed more people by adding more chicken and chicken stock.  As is, feeds 4.

Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 16 0z box Velveeta, cubed

1 cup milk

1 can rotel

1 small white onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 small handful of fresh diced cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded Mexican blend cheese

Green onions for garnish

Tortilla chips

In a saucepot boil the chicken breasts in just enough water to cover them, about 3 to 4 cups, for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from water and chop into small pieces, but save the chicken broth.  In the pot that you want to make the soup in melt the butter and simmer the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until the onion is clear.  Stir in the flour to form a roux and let simmer another 2 to 3 minutes.  Slowly add 3 cups of chicken broth (from the boiled chicken) to the flour mixture and stir well.  Slowly stir in the milk and reduce heat to just simmering.   Mix in the velveeta  and stir well until melted.  Then add the rotel, chicken, and spices.  Let simmer for about 20 mins until it thickens up.  Serve with shredded cheese, green onions, and tortilla chips on top. 

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4 cups chicken broth

2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded

1 (4.5 ounce) package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet

1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk

Directions

1.In a large pot over medium heat, boil chicken breast in water to make broth. I usually season with salt and pepper and garlic. 

2.  While chicken is cooking make rice according to package directions.

3.   In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

3.Stir broth, shredded chicken, rice, celery, carrots, and garlic into cream mixture. Cook over medium heat veggies are soft, about 20 minutes.  If it is to thick add more broth, if it is too runny and more flour.

Southern Clam Chowder

1/2 lb bacon chopped into pieces
1 white onion diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs red potatoes, diced with peel on
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup celery sliced thin
2 packets of onion soup mix
2 cans of chopped clams with juice
1 qt half and half
plain potato flakes
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan brown bacon, onion and garlic.  Once bacon is brown and crispy remove from pot using a slotted spoon to leave the grease behind, set aside.  Add potatoes, carrots, and celery to grease.  Use the juice from the 2 cans of clams to cover the potatoes, you will need to add water to have enough liquid, stir in onion soup mix.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft about 15 mins.  Add bacon pieces, clams, and half and half simmer until soup thickens up.  Add potato flakes slowly if you need to thicken it up.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I served with rolls and topped it with tobasco sauce :)

My Famous Potato Soup

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced

1 lb bacon

1 onion diced

4 cloves garlic

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 cup milk

Green onions

In a large soup pot fry the bacon with the onion and garlic.  When bacon is crispy remove strips and chop up.  Leaving the grease in the pot add the potatoes and enough chicken broth to cover the potatoes to the top.  Boil until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.  Reduce heat to low, stir in milk, cheddar, and about ¾ of the bacon.  Let simmer until the cheese is melted.  If the soup is too thick add more milk or chicken broth, if it is too thin add some unflavored potato flakes slowly until it is the consistenicy that you want.  I usually add some pepper also, but the bacon and cheese should make it salty enough.  Top with cheese, bacon, and green onions to serve.

This is super fattening, but also extremely tasty.  Makes a great dish to take to winter get together or work pot luck.