This past Thanksgiving, my hubby brought home one of the biggest turkeys I had ever seen! Let alone cooked! (I swear, I literally looked over my shoulder at my ovens thinking, is this monster going to fit??) I nearly got out the measuring tape!!

He bought a humongous one so that we’d have plenty of leftover meat for lots of different meals later on.

Smart man. I’m raising him right. 😉

One of my personal favorites to make with the leftover bird, is Roast Turkey and Dumpling Stew!  I was on to my next-to-last bag of pulled meat, so I thought that I better be whipping up a batch, quick!, before it was all gone! 😉

I also had a PRIMO jar of turkey stock that I had made, too.

This was going to be the best batch EVER.

(*You can just sub regular turkey or chicken broth or stock if you don’t have any, though).

 

Since the meat is already cooked, this comes together rather quickly! You just cut up your basic trio of vegetables being carrots, onions and celery with the leaves, …..

 

 

…. and add them to a stock pot full of the broth and stock, seasonings and a little butter.

Bring this heavenly liquid to a boil and cook your veggies until tender.

While those are simmering and boiling away, filling the house with insanely incredible smells already, whip up your easy-peasy dumpling dough!

When the veggies are tender, add your seasoned, herbed dough to the boiling pot, a small spoonful at a time, using two regular eating spoons. (One to scoop, and one to scrape off into the pot).

Place a tightly fitting lid on top and leave it be!
Just walk away.

DO NOT PEEK!

 

 

 

And this is why we never lift the lid!
Perfection is easily achieved!!

 

 

Just look at those gorgeous, light ‘n fluffy pillows of heavenly goodness!! 😀

 

 

I then just add the meat and gently fold it into the hot broth….

 

 

…. and make a simple slurry of cold milk and cornstarch to add to the pot to thicken it just a little. It just makes it heartier and richer, and helps to keep the juices from running down your chin! 😉

 

 

 

This stew could not be easier to make! And will certainly take you back in time…perched on a tall, wooden stool, watching Grandma make magic happen on her old, white porcelain stove!

 

 

Chockfull of healthy veggies, protein-filled lean roast turkey,
light as air dumplings, and rich, creamy broth!

What more could one dream of??

 

 

 

I so hope that you make this! And if you don’t have any turkey stashed away in the freezer, just roast a small one, or a small chicken, or even start with pulled rotisserie chicken that you can purchase at your local grocery store!

This really doesn’t take long, especially if you can start with meat that is already cooked or roasted. And it’s also very frugal to boot!

The dumplings are the star of the show, though! Truly, little dainty bites of heaven! So light and fluffy, with a nice touch of aromatic herbs that aren’t overpowering for tiny tastebuds!

Kids (of all sizes… 😉  ) will want to fight over them.
So make sure you count them and give an even amount to each bowl. 😉

As some things never change.
Thank goodness. 😉

 

 

 

Yield: 5 - 6 servings

Roast Turkey & Herbed Dumpling Stew

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Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups rich roast turkey stock (homemade preferably), can sub purchased turkey or chicken stock or broth
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 Tbl. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 oz.) bag baby carrots, sliced chunky
• 4 ribs celery, fairly thickly sliced at an angle
• 4 cloves garlic, run through a garlic press or very finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, pull leaves and add leaves only (1/2 tsp. fresh or dried leaves)
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 4-5 cups leftover roast turkey, pulled into large bite-sized pieces and chunks, can sub roast or rotisserie chicken

For the Dumplings:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/8 tsp. ground rosemary
• 1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
• scant 1/16 tsp. onion powder
• 1 1/2 Tbl. cold butter, cubed very small
• 1/2 cup cold milk

Thicken at End With:

• 2 Tbl. cornstarch
• 2 Tbl. cold milk
• *1/8 tsp. regular table salt if desired for seasoning after tasting

Instructions

In large stock pot, add chicken broth and turkey stock. In microwave heat water to boiling with the chicken base. Stir until dissolved. Add to pot. Heat pot to boiling.

When pot has come to a boil, add rest of soup ingredients except turkey (and dumpling ingredients). Gently boil over medium heat for 10 minutes until veggies are tender.

While veggies are cooking, whisk together dry ingredients in medium bowl for dumplings. Cut up butter into tiny pieces, add, and pinch to mix in with fingers, tossing, until a fine crumb. Stir in milk until moistened but not over mixed.

When veggies are tender, drop the dough, one spoonful at a time, into the boiling broth using two eating teaspoons (regular silverware.) Reduce heat to low and cover tightly with lid. Cover and Low boil over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. (I always get about 17 dumplings). DO NOT PEEK. Leave lid on tight throughout cooking time.

Remove lid, turn down heat to Low, and add turkey. Fold in gently. Return to just a Low simmer.

To thicken: Mix the cornstarch with the cold milk well. Drizzle into simmering stew and gently stir in. Simmer 1 minute, gently stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened slightly.

Taste. Add an 1/8 tsp. regular table salt if desired. (This was perfect for us).

Ladle into bowls, and serve piping hot!