Hearty Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 12 ounce dumplings frozen (such as Mary B's)
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 0.3 cup carrots sliced
• 0.3 cup celery sliced
• 4  skin-on chicken drumsticks 
• 4  chicken thighs 
• 0.8 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 4 cups less-sodium chicken broth fat-free
• 2 teaspoons butter light
• 0.5 cup onion chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 3 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• dutch oven
• tongs

Directions

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; partially cover. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes or until chicken is done.
2. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a large bowl, using tongs; cool slightly.
3. Bring broth to a boil. Separate frozen dumpling strips; break each strip in half.
4. Add dumplings to broth, 1 at a time, stirring often to prevent sticking. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones; cut meat into bite-sized pieces.
6. Add chicken, butter, and pepper to dumpling mixture; stir well to combine. Simmer 10 minutes, covered, or until dumplings are tender.