Chicken and Dumplings

• In a large pot place chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Place a lid on pot, lower heat to medium and let simmer for 10-20 minutes.

  (The size of the chicken will determine on how long to cook it. If you are using chicken tenders are thin chicken cutlets, cook for 10 minutes and chicken for doneness. Thicker chicken will need to cook longer, right around the 15-20 minute mark. Check for doneness or that the internal temperature is over 165 degrees.
• Turn off burner. Take chicken out of pot and put onto a cutting board. Shred all chicken. Place shredded chicken into a medium bowl and pour some of the cooked broth onto chicken.

  Leave remaining broth in pot.

Preparing Dumplings

• In a large bowl using a whisk mix together dumpling ingredients listed above (flour, salt and baking powder). Cut butter into small pieces and place into flour. Using 2 knives, forks or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into flour.
• Pour buttermilk into flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate flour into buttermilk. Then using your hand mix until a ball of dough forms. Place dough onto a floured work surface and using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 of inch (very thin.)

  TO MAKE BUTTERMILK: Place 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice to a measure cup. Add milk up to the 1 cup line. Stir and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife cut 2 x 1/2 inch strips. Sprinkle the strips of dough with flour as you are separating them. (The extra flour will help thicken the gravy later.)
• Add an additional 4 cups of chicken broth and poultry seasoning to the remaining broth in the large pot and bring back to a boil. Slowly add in the dumplings one at a time so they don't stick. (Dumplings should start floating and expanding.) Once all dumplings are in the pot, give a stir. Let simmer on medium high heat for 15 minutes until dumplings are cooked through.
• Add cooked shredded chicken to the pot and give a stir. If you desire a thicker gravy, add a corn starch slurry to the mix and stir. (Corn starch slurry: 2 TBS corn starch and 1/4 cup of the chicken broth from pot mixed together.)
• Allow to thicken and enjoy.