Chicken and Dumplings

This is my mom's recipe for chicken and dumplings.  Actually, she just always threw it together and it never was made with exact measurements and it is one of my family's favorite meals.  I decided a few years ago that maybe I should write down measurements and so here it is.

1 family size can of cream of chicken soup

2 envelopes of Lipton cream of chicken soup cup of soup

4 tsp. chicken broth granules 

6  cups of water

4 - 5  cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (my family prefers white meat)

1 -2 tsp. of Emeril's Bayou Blast (optional)

black pepper to taste

2 1/4 cup of Bisquick Mix

2/3 cup of milk

Add chicken granules to the water and dissolve or you could use 6 cups canned chicken broth instead.  Pour broth into large stockpot and add all of the soup.  Add in Bayou Blast and black pepper.  Add cooked chicken.  Bring to a boil then turn to low.  Now it's time to make the dumplings.   Mix the milk and Bisquick Mix.  Once mixed, drop by teaspoon full into simmering soup. (I use my small cookie scoop from Pampered Chef for this.  I love it as it makes the dumplings all the same size and pretty round shape.)  Once all dough has been dropped into the soup, cook them for 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes cover with a lid and cook for 10 more minutes. I know that on the Bisquick Mix recipe for the dumplings calls for less cooking time for the dumplings but they were never done for me and I have found the 20 minutes is perfect. 

As far as add-ins, my mom used to add peas to it before she added the dumplings but I don't like peas, so I don't add them.  Every once in a while I will slice up some mushrooms, sautee them in butter until nice and brown and add those into the soup too.  I've never done carrots but I imagine those would be nice, also.