Italian Chicken and Dumplings

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 40 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Cook: 20 min
If you love Chicken Fricassee, Chicken and Biscuits and Chicken and Dumplings here's a flavorful, Italian take on the classic. Here, basil pesto - a kid favorite, is stirred into the light gravy. For the dumplings, fresh potato gnocchi tossed in lemon butter. WOW!
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Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 pounds chicken tenderloins, diced into bite-sized pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons butter, divided

12 large white mushrooms, sliced

1 cup shredded carrots, store bought

4 ribs celery from the heart, very thinly sliced

1 to 2 fresh bay leaves

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken stock, divided

1 cup basil leaves

1 clove garlic

A generous handful parsley leaves

A handful pine nuts, lightly toasted

A couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 lemon , zested

2 (10 to 12-ounce) packages, fresh gnocchi

Directions

  1. Place a large pot of water on to boil for gnocchi.
  2. Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and lightly brown. Remove to a plate and add another tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Soften 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 1/2 cups stock, slide the chicken back into the pot and simmer to allow sauce to thicken.
  3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup stock in food processor with basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and cheese, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and pour in the remaining few tablespoons oil.
  4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat with the zest of 1 lemon.
  5. Salt cooking water and drop gnocchi in the water, cook until the gnocchi floats, drain and add to the lemon butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the gnocchi 2 to 3 minutes in lemon butter until light golden at edges.
  6. Turn heat off chicken and stir in pesto sauce. Serve the chicken in shallow bowls and top with lemon butter dumplings.

Let's Get Cooking!

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tony k.

I have made this 3 times and really like it. I think you have to be careful to use the amount of the broth that is called for vs all that it make-just think of the extra as a bonus and save it for something else. If you really want to se it all you will need to add more flour to thicken it up a bit. I add a diced onion an more carrots and celery as I don't care for peas or pearl onions that much. Use an ice cream scoop for the dumplings to get them the same size and easier than using two spoons anyway. I was surprised that the broth is do good so quick - I think the garlic and salt really help.

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