Recipe Background
Rotisserie Chicken & Dumpling Bake is a comforting meal perfect for post-layoff warmth.
The first time I cooked this rotisserie chicken and dumpling bake was during a laid-off comfort meal after my unexpected exit from a long-time job. It was one of those moments that felt like a chapter ending, and I needed a dish that could wrap me in warmth and familiarity without demanding too much emotional labor. My pantry had the usual suspects: a can of condensed cream of chicken soup, some quick baking mix, and a bag of frozen peas and carrots. As I shredded the rotisserie chicken, its comforting aroma filled the air, and I was reminded of Sunday dinners at my grandmother's table where chicken was always the star.
As I sautéed the onions and celery in melted butter, a memory surfaced of my grandmother insisting that soft onions are the heart of any good comfort food. Her tip for adding just the right amount of salt and pepper made a world of difference that day. Pouring the golden broth into my concoction, I realized how connected I felt to my roots simply by stirring ingredients together. When the fluffy dumplings puffed up to perfection in the oven, I knew I had honored her legacy in a tiny, tasty way. That bake not only filled my belly with nostalgia but reinforced the belief that I had all I needed right there in my kitchen—just like she used to say.
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/2 cup white onions diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded or chopped
- 2 cups quick baking mix such as Bisquick™
- 1 cup milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onions and the celery to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, the salt, and the black pepper to the onion mixture and stir to combine.
- Gradually add the chicken broth to the soup mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup mixture to a boil and cook, while stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the peas and carrots mix to the soup mixture and cook, while stirring constantly, until the peas and carrots are heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the soup mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the filling mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- In a small bowl, add the baking mix and the milk and stir with a fork until just combined into a sticky batter.
- Dollop the batter by the tablespoonful over the filling mixture.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Carefully cover the baking dish and bake again until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
- Serve.
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