Sweet potatoes, chicken and dumplings—a happy combination

Hubby loves nothing than better than chicken and dumplings, unless we’re talking sweet potatoes. Those are all his faves. So when I saw a recipe for Sweet Potato Chicken and Dumplings, I knew Hubby would do triple back-flips over such a dish.

The recipe was featured in a magazine article on lightened-up comfort foods—ways to rework hearty old standbys into more healthy entrees. In this dish the dumplings were created from a combination of sweet and white potatoes mixed with Parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary. The recipe called for less flour than the typical chicken-and-dumplings offering; it also featured a light, flavorful chicken broth instead of the usual heavy gravy.

My dumplings didn’t have the rosy coloration that the magazine photo showed because the day of my marketing, my grocery didn’t carry any of the standard golden sweet potatoes and instead had white sweet potatoes for sale. But the sweet-potato flavor was the same as if I’d use the golden variety.

The magazine described the sweet-potato dumplings as pillowy and gnocci-like. Couldn’t ask for a more perfect January meal. And yes, Hubby was more than excited about this combination of his besties.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Dumplings

1 (3 3/4-pound) whole chicken

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

Sweet Potato Dumplings (recipe follows)

Shaved Parmesan cheese

Flat-leaf parsley leaves

Bring chicken, next 7 ingredients and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Cool chicken 30 minutes. Meanwhile cook reserved broth in Dutch oven over low heat 30 minutes. Skin, bone, and shred chicken; reserve bones. Place bones in broth. Cover and chill shredded chicken until it is ready to use.  Continue cooking broth, uncovered, over low heat for 1 hour or until it is reduced by one-third. Pour broth through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids. Wipe Dutch oven clean; pour broth back into Dutch oven. Skim fat from broth. Add thinly sliced onion and next 2 ingredients to broth; cook over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, 20 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender. Add shredded chicken; return to a simmer. Add Sweet Potato Dumplings to soup. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. 

Sweet Potato Dumplings

2 medium-sized baking potatoes (about 3/4 pound)

1 large sweet potato (about 1/2 pound)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick all potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes on a jelly-roll pan 1 hour. (I baked mine on the microwave oven setting for potatoes.) Cool potatoes 20 minutes. Peel and mash until potatoes are smooth. Add cheese and next 4 ingredients. Stir until smooth. Fold in flour just until blended. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; dust with flour. Roll each into a 3/4-inch-diameter rope on a well-floured surface. Cut into 1-inch pieces; place dumplings on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cook dumplings, 10 to 12 at a time, in 3 quarts of boiling water over medium-high heat, 3 minutes. remove with a slotted spoon. Makes 8 servings. (Source: Southern Living, January 2013)