Recipes Main Dishes Dumpling Recipes Farmer Cheese Dumplings 4.8 (4) 4 Reviews 1 Photo I'm going to show you the simplest, easiest dumpling recipe I know. Just so everyone is clear — I'm talking about American-style dumplings. This technique will work no matter what liquid you're going to simmer the dumplings on top of — gravy, soup, stew, whatever you like. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on July 27, 2023 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 1 Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 6 dumplings Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Farmer Cheese Dumplings – Comfortably Yum Okay, let's set the scene. It's a cold wet night, and you didn't have the best day at work. You were just going to heat up a can of soup, find something silly on TV, and call it a night. That might make you feel a little better, but why not go for a full mood makeover, and steam some very comforting, easy cheese dumplings on top? Yes, you can still find something silly on TV. These dumplings, which have a texture somewhere between a bread and a pasta, should be considered more of an idea than an actual recipe. Start with some soft cheese, or other dairy product, which you can spike with sharper, hard cheeses (you know the ones), and mix in an egg. Season like you mean it, and stir in enough self-rising flour to make a sticky dough. And, that's it. Transfer heaping spoonfuls over any type of simmering goodness, cover, and 15 minutes later, you're thinking things aren't all that bad. I like the simplicity of just using a tangy farmer cheese, but you can get very creative with different combos. From the mildest cream cheeses, to the boldest bleus, so many choices, so little time. I was in a rosemary mood here, but fresh herbs are really nice in these, and if you do use chicken, tarragon is especially delicious. No matter what you use, this is my idea of simple, comfort food at it's finest, and I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy! Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Gravy: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cubed 1 yellow onion, diced ⅓ cup flour salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 pinch cayenne pepper 6 cups chicken broth 2 celery, diced 1 large carrot, diced ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (Optional) 2 tablespoons sliced green onions Dumplings: ½ cup farmer's cheese 1 large egg 1 ¼ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper ⅓ cup self-rising flour 1 pinch cayenne pepper Directions Gather the ingredients. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Melt butter in a high saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix in flour and stir until flour is well mixed in, making a roux, 2 to 3 minutes. You can add more flour if you want a thicker stew. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Pour in chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the bottom. Add carrots and celery and bring gravy to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and maintain a steady simmer. Add thyme leaves and simmer until gravy is slightly reduced and has thickened, about 45 minutes. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Meanwhile, make the dumplings: Combine farmer's cheese, egg, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Add self-rising flour and mix until a very stiff batter forms. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Raise heat to medium and bring gravy back to a steady simmer. Add green onions. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Remove 1 heaping tablespoon dumpling batter at a time. Shape with the use of a second tablespoon into oval dumplings and carefully drop into the simmering liquid. You should get a total of 6 dumplings out of this recipe. Dust with cayenne pepper, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Simmer and steam dumplings until they are puffed up and cooked through without stirring or peaking, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Serve and enjoy! ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA Chef's Notes You can use any soft cheese instead of farmer's cheese for the dumplings. If you don't have self-rising flour, you can make your own using this Self-Rising Flour Recipe. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 325 Calories 20g Fat 16g Carbs 20g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 325 % Daily Value * Total Fat 20g 25% Saturated Fat 12g 62% Cholesterol 117mg 39% Sodium 1730mg 75% Total Carbohydrate 16g 6% Dietary Fiber 1g 5% Protein 20g 39% Potassium 259mg 6% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.