Chicken Stock in the Slow Cooker | Chicken & Dumplings (Gluten Free)

Well, I had a completely different post I was going to do for today. I wasn't going to do a recipe because Kristy did a recipe on Monday and we try to limit those to one a week. However, at some point I wanted to share how I make my own chicken stock. On Monday evening I used my chicken stock to make chicken and dumplings. It was not exactly a new recipe, but I did clean it up from what it used to be (taking out the processed cream of chicken soup). The best part was I made it gluten free AND it was GOOD!

Pure comfort food right there, folks!!

Any gluten free peeps out there? If so, then you know it is not always easy to convert every recipe to gluten free. We love chicken and dumplings at my house. Especially my boy. When I was making my grocery list on Sunday night for my grocery trip the next morning, I was asking the kids if there were any special meal they wanted me to make. His response, “chicken and dumplings!” (Elizabeh's was "filet mignon!" so yeah, that's on the list this week. lol) I had been wanting to try converting my recipe to gluten free, and the time had arrived. It had been at least February since I made it last.

But first! I have to show you what I had originally wanted to share – how to make chicken stock.

By the way, what’s the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth? Do you know? I used to wonder and looked it up to learn a few months ago.

Chicken stock is made with bones and vegetables. It tends to have

more flavor because of the natural gelatin released from the bones.

Chicken broth is made with meat and vegetables (and sometimes bones).

I buy a whole chicken (sometimes a rotisserie chicken that has already been cooked) and use my meat in the meal recipes and use the bones (and skin) to make chicken stock.

Why make your own chicken stock? Yep, it's a lot cheaper but it's also the same old, same old as I mentioned in my post, Homemade Beef Bouillon and Tomato Soup. It’s easy to grab a carton of chicken stock at the grocery store but have you read the ingredients in them? I know. You don’t want to. You’d rather just keep buying it already made for you…..

Chicken Broth, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Chicken Flavor, Flavoring, Corn Syrup Solids, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Chicken Fat, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Chicken Broth Powder

That’s in the ever popular Swanson chicken stock. The kind I used to buy. You can buy it MSG free too if I remember correctly. The red label Campbell’s chicken broth has wheat (plus soy, MSG, and corn oil). Another brand I have bought in the past from my local grocery store was McCormick’s Kitchen Basics. Its ingredients:

Chicken Stock, Vegetable Stock (Carrot, Onion, Mushrooms, and Celery), Sea Salt, Natural Chicken Flavor, Honey, Salt, Natural Flavor, and Spice and Herbs (Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, and Thyme)

That brand boasts “All Natural” on the front and most of the ingredients above look pretty okay, but why would they need to add ANY flavor? Shouldn't the chicken stock itself have its own flavor without having to add more? To me, possible ingredients in added "flavor" in food products sounds as ambiguous as "fragrance" in health and beauty items.

Okay, enough of that guilt trip and boring read. It takes less than 10 minutes of prep time to start your chicken stock. Let’s do this!

See that golden goodness full of flavor and nutrition?

Chicken Stock (aka Bone Broth) in the Slow Cooker
printable recipe here

Ingredients:
Chicken bones and skin (and any leftover meat)
Vegetables – two carrots, two stalks celery, 1 large onion, garlic
Herbs or Spices (optional) – parsley, bay leaf, turmeric, black peppercorns, thyme
Water

*Notice I did not include salt. You can add salt later when you are using the stock for whatever recipe you are making. It’s easy to add salt but impossible to take the salt out.*

Steps:
1. Put chicken bones and skin in a slow cooker. Clean vegetables of any loose dirt (no need to peel) and roughly chop then put in slow cooker. Add any additional herbs or spices.

Bones, skin, a bit of meat that was left, celery, and carrots.....

2. Fill the slow cooker with water to about two inches below the rim where the lid sits.

I've added some spices and herbs and then filled it with water.

3. Turn on LOW and cook for 10-12 hours. (The time is flexible so don’t worry if you go over. Those bones are just getting softer and letting out more nutrition. ;))

4. Turn off the slow cooker and let cool. Skim off as much fat as you want.

You can see just a little fat on the surface. I just skimmed a bit of it off.

5. Using a fine mesh colander positioned over a large bowl, pour the liquid slowly through it into the bowl. Keep the bones to make one more batch!

6. Pour that delicious chicken stock into your container of choice and freeze. I use mason jars in quart and pint sizes (some recipes call for 4 cups and some call for 2 cups). Leave enough room for the liquid to freeze and expand. Stock can keep in the refrigerator for about a week and in the freezer for about six months.

If you noticed in my photos I did not include onion. Occasionally, I use my chicken broth to make treats for my pets and onion is not good for them, so for this batch I left it out. This first batch yielded FOURTEEN cups of chicken stock. I started another batch right after I put my jars in the freezer and will probably have another twelve cups. I didn't add as much water this time since the bones have been used once and won't have as much flavor/nutrition in them so I'm trying to keep it concentrated. I'll make all that stock - about 26 cups - for the cost of four carrots, four stalks of celery, and a few spices I already had in my pantry. Cheap-o!!

Go ahead and set four cups of that stuff aside to make this next recipe – Chicken and Dumplings.

Chicken and Dumplings
printable recipe here

4 cups chicken stock or broth (Really, I use it interchangeably but usually use chicken stock because it’s what I make and it’s healthier.)
3 cups shredded and cooked chicken (about 1 ½ pounds)
2 cups water, more or less
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning (here’s a good homemade recipe if you don’t have any)
2 carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dumplings:
1 ½ cups all purpose gluten free flour (I used Pillsbury BEST Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe.)
1 tablespoon (heaping) aluminum free baking powder (I use this brand.)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 – 1 ½ cups half and half

Place first three ingredients in a large pot over medium-high heat. As it comes to a boil, add your vegetables. Turn down to a low boil (about medium) for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While ingredients are cooking, in a bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add half and half until you have a moist consistency but not runny. You want it to be where you can form (sticky) dough balls.

After about 15-20 minutes, turn temperature up to medium-high. Once it starts to boil more, drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the pot. Carefully stir the dumplings (very carefully so they don't break apart) to make sure they are not sticking to each other. Cover the pot halfway and simmer for 15 minutes for the dumplings to cook. Add any salt, pepper, or additional water if the liquid gets too low.

Serves: 4-6

For those who aren't gluten free but want a delicious chicken and dumplings recipe, just use regular all purpose flour in place of the GF flour. ;)

What do you use chicken stock (broth) for? Do you ever just drink it by itself? It's so healthy and comforting warmed in a mug on its own. Does your family have a favorite chicken and dumplings recipe? Share any ideas below!