Family Chicken and Dumplings Freezer Meal

If you ask me, freezer meals are a busy parent’s best friend.

This comforting chicken and dumplings recipe makes meal planning so much easier when life gets hectic. Tender chicken and fluffy dumplings swim in a warm, savory broth that tastes like it simmered all day.

It’s assembled ahead of time and tucked away in your freezer until you need it. Just pull it out on those crazy weeknights when cooking from scratch feels impossible.

It’s a filling dish that brings the whole family to the table, perfect for those days when you need dinner to practically make itself.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Chicken thighs are the way to go for this freezer meal, and there’s a good reason why. They stay much more tender and juicy than chicken breasts, especially after being frozen and reheated, which makes them perfect for a comfort food dish like this. You can use bone-in thighs if that’s what you have on hand, but boneless makes the eating experience much easier and the prep work faster. If you only have chicken breasts available, they’ll work too, but try to cut them into smaller chunks so they don’t dry out during the cooking process.

Options for Substitutions

This freezer-friendly recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Chicken thighs: You can use chicken breasts instead, but thighs stay more tender during the long cooking process. If using breasts, consider cutting them into smaller pieces to prevent them from drying out.
• Baby bella mushrooms: Regular white mushrooms work perfectly fine, or you can skip them altogether if mushrooms aren’t your thing. Diced celery makes a nice substitute for extra crunch.
• Frozen mixed veggies: Feel free to use whatever frozen vegetables you have on hand – peas and carrots, green beans, or corn all work well. Fresh vegetables are fine too, just add them earlier in the cooking process.
• Heavy cream: Half-and-half or whole milk can replace heavy cream, though the sauce won’t be quite as rich. For a lighter version, try evaporated milk.
• Italian dressing mix: If you don’t have the mix, combine 1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, and garlic powder with a pinch of onion powder.
• Milk for dumplings: Buttermilk makes the dumplings extra fluffy, or you can use any milk you have on hand – even non-dairy alternatives like almond or oat milk work fine.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making chicken and dumplings is adding the dumplings to rapidly boiling broth, which can cause them to fall apart or become tough – instead, bring the broth to a gentle simmer before dropping in your dumpling dough.

Another common error is overcrowding the pot with dumplings, so make sure to leave space between each one as they’ll expand while cooking and need room to breathe.

Don’t lift the lid too often once you’ve added the dumplings, as this releases steam that’s crucial for proper cooking – let them simmer undisturbed for about 15 minutes.

For freezer meal prep, avoid adding the heavy cream and cornstarch slurry until you’re ready to reheat and serve, since dairy can separate when frozen and thawed.

What to Serve With Chicken and Dumplings?

Chicken and dumplings is already a pretty complete meal on its own, but I love serving it with some warm, buttery biscuits or dinner rolls for extra comfort food vibes. A simple side salad with mixed greens and a light vinaigrette helps balance out all that hearty goodness, especially since this dish is so filling and rich. If you want to keep things cozy, try serving it alongside some roasted green beans or steamed broccoli to add a bit of color and crunch to your plate. For a true Southern-style meal, cornbread is another great option that pairs perfectly with the creamy broth.

Storage Instructions

Freeze: This is where this recipe really shines! You can freeze the entire meal before cooking for up to 3 months. Just toss all the ingredients (except the dumpling mixture) into a freezer bag, label it with the date, and lay it flat in your freezer. When you’re ready to cook, thaw it overnight in the fridge and then follow the cooking instructions.

Keep Fresh: If you’ve already cooked your chicken and dumplings, store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a covered container. The dumplings might absorb some of the broth as they sit, which actually makes them even more flavorful the next day!

Warm Up: To reheat, add a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen things up, then warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat while stirring occasionally. You can also microwave individual portions, but I find the stovetop method keeps the dumplings from getting too mushy.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1250-1450
• Protein: 75-85 g
• Fat: 32-40 g
• Carbohydrates: 155-180 g

Ingredients

For the stew:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup fine diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups frozen assorted vegetables
• 2 tsp homemade italian dressing blend
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (optional, mixed with equal amount water)

For the dumplings:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt

Step 1: Combine Chicken and Vegetables in Slow Cooker

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup fine diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups frozen assorted vegetables
• 2 tsp homemade Italian dressing blend
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Place the boneless skinless chicken thighs, finely diced yellow onion, chopped cremini mushrooms, and frozen assorted vegetables into the slow cooker.

Add in the homemade Italian dressing blend, salt, black pepper, and chicken broth.

Stir gently to combine.

Set the lid on the slow cooker.

Step 2: Cook the Chicken and Vegetables

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

If you’re busy, the low setting is a safe go-to; high heat works great if you’re short on time.

Step 3: Shred the Chicken

Once the chicken is cooked through, carefully remove it from the slow cooker.

Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Set aside the shredded chicken for now.

Step 4: Thicken and Enrich the Soup

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (optional, mixed with equal amount water)
• shredded chicken from Step 3

Stir in the heavy cream to the vegetable and broth mixture in the slow cooker.

If you’d like the soup to be thicker, stir together the cornstarch with an equal amount of water to create a slurry and add it as well.

Return the shredded chicken (from Step 3) to the slow cooker and stir everything together.

Set the slow cooker to high heat so the mixture simmers gently.

Step 5: Prepare Dumpling Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, egg, and milk until just combined into a smooth batter.

Be careful not to overmix—it’s fine if there are a few lumps.

I find that letting the batter rest for a few minutes results in fluffier dumplings.

Step 6: Cook the Dumplings in the Slow Cooker

• dumpling batter from Step 5

Drop large spoonfuls of the dumpling batter (from Step 5) over the simmering soup and chicken mixture.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 30-60 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through and set in the center.

The timing will depend on the size of your dumplings and the heat of your slow cooker.

For extra flavor, I sometimes sprinkle a little black pepper on top before serving.

Family Chicken and Dumplings Freezer Meal

Delicious Family Chicken and Dumplings Freezer Meal recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 2 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 2 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 1350 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the stew:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup fine diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups frozen assorted vegetables
• 2 tsp homemade Italian dressing blend
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (optional, mixed with equal amount water)

For the dumplings:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Place the boneless skinless chicken thighs, finely diced yellow onion, chopped cremini mushrooms, and frozen assorted vegetables into the slow cooker. Add in the homemade Italian dressing blend, salt, black pepper, and chicken broth. Stir gently to combine. Set the lid on the slow cooker.
• Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. If you're busy, the low setting is a safe go-to; high heat works great if you're short on time.
• Once the chicken is cooked through, carefully remove it from the slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside the shredded chicken for now.
• Stir in the heavy cream to the vegetable and broth mixture in the slow cooker. If you'd like the soup to be thicker, stir together the cornstarch with an equal amount of water to create a slurry and add it as well. Return the shredded chicken (from Step 3) to the slow cooker and stir everything together. Set the slow cooker to high heat so the mixture simmers gently.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, egg, and milk until just combined into a smooth batter. Be careful not to overmix—it's fine if there are a few lumps. I find that letting the batter rest for a few minutes results in fluffier dumplings.
• Drop large spoonfuls of the dumpling batter (from Step 5) over the simmering soup and chicken mixture. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 30-60 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through and set in the center. The timing will depend on the size of your dumplings and the heat of your slow cooker. For extra flavor, I sometimes sprinkle a little black pepper on top before serving.