Chicken & Dumplings

Best chicken & dumplings I've ever eaten! Any veggies will do - sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, mixed veggies from the freezer, or any combination of your favorites. For the chicken - I like to grill the day before so it's cold when I'm cutting/shredding it. It's the thyme (fresh or dried), black pepper, and evaporated milk that makes this recipe the best, so don't cut these out!

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter
1 C onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 C chopped veggies
3 Tbsp flour
12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
32 oz (4 C) chicken stock
4 C shredded cooked chicken
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
salt, to taste
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2 C flour
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
3/4 C whole milk
4 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
1) In dutch oven, melt butter. Add onion, garlic, and veggies.
2) Saute on medium heat for about 10 min, until slightly softened.
3) Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4) Add evaporated milk and chicken stock. Stir.
5) Add chicken, thyme, pepper, and salt.
6) Allow to simmer, uncovered, while making dumpling dough.
7) In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt.
8) Make well in dry ingredients.
9) Pour milk and melted butter in well.
10) Stir until just combined. Do not overstir.
11) Give chicken mixture a final stir & drop heat to lowest setting.
12) Using a small cookie scoop, drop batter onto the surface.
13) When surface is covered and all dough as been used, gently press dough with spoon so each dumpling gets "wet" with chicken mixture. They will pop back to the top.
14) Cover and allow dumplings to cook for 10-15 minutes.
15) Serve hot after dumplings are cooked through.

Serves 6-8.