Best Ever Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 2 c chicken broth
• 1 can buttermilk refrigerated biscuits
• 2 c frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Scatter the diced onion evenly across the bottom of your crockpot. Spreading the onions in a flat layer helps them soften gently as the dish cooks, releasing their flavor into the broth without burning or turning bitter. This base layer also prevents the chicken from sticking directly to the bottom of the pot.
2. Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer directly on top of the onions. Keeping them in an even layer ensures they cook uniformly and shred easily later. Chicken thighs are especially well suited for slow cooking because they remain tender and juicy even after several hours.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup. Both soups help create a rich, velvety gravy as they break down during cooking. Spoon them into the bowl, making sure to scrape out the cans completely so none of the concentrated flavor is lost.
4. Add the poultry seasoning, chopped fresh parsley, and black pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly until the mixture becomes smooth and well blended. The herbs and seasoning add depth to the creamy base and enhance the savory aroma that builds as the dish cooks.
5. Pour the soup mixture evenly over the chicken thighs in the crockpot, letting it settle around the meat. Try to coat the chicken as fully as possible so the flavors absorb slowly over the long cooking time.
6. Pour the chicken broth over everything, ensuring it reaches the bottom of the pot. The broth thins the gravy just enough to prevent scorching and provides the moisture needed to cook the dumplings later. At this stage, you should see the chicken mostly covered by the soup mixture and broth.
7. Cover the crockpot with the lid and set it to high for 5 hours. Avoid lifting the lid during this time; each opening releases heat and steam, which can extend the cooking time significantly and affect the texture of the chicken and gravy.