Beef and Dumplings
A rich beef stew with pillowy soft dumplings, perfect for a hearty Sunday dinner.
Prep
30
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 10.5 ounce can beef consommé
- 2-3 pound chuck roast (907-1.36 g)
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1 cup milk plus additional as needed
- 1/4 cup salted butter chilled
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch (15-30 ml)
- 2 cups self-rising flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 teaspoons salt or to taste (5-10 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1/4 cup cornmeal optional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
528
Protein
36g
Carbs
41g
Fat
26g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the chuck roast on both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the roast on both sides for 2-3 minutes each.
- 2
Directly to the Dutch oven, add the beef consommé, beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs de Provence. Add enough water to nearly cover the roast and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the roast is fall-apart tender.
- 3
Leaving the broth in the Dutch oven, carefully transfer the roast to a large bowl and shred with two forks.
- 4
To make the dumplings, in a medium bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, and black pepper. Working quickly, grate the chilled butter on a box grater, add to the flour mixture, and gently toss until coated.
- 5
Make a well in the center and add the milk. Use a spatula to fold until a dough just forms. If the dough seems too dry, add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 6
Lightly flour a clean work surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a butter knife or pizza cutter, cut into 1-inch squares. If desired, sprinkle the cornmeal evenly over the dough and gently pat to adhere.
- 7
Whisk together 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the simmering broth.
- 8
Return the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Drop the dumplings into the broth one at a time, then raise the heat to return the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through and the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes.
- 9
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the chuck roast for exactly 2-3 minutes per side at medium-high heat to develop a 0.5-1mm Maillard crust without overcooking the exterior, which concentrates umami compounds and improves broth flavor without drying the interior.timing2-3 minutes per side, 0.5-1mm crust depth
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch slurry (1-2 tablespoons cornstarch per 2-3 tablespoons cold water) and add it during the boil, not during simmering, because heat activates cornstarch's thickening power through gelatinization of starch granules at 140-180°F.technique1:1 cornstarch-to-water ratio, add at rolling boil (212°F)
- ✓Keep butter chilled to 35-40°F and grate it directly into flour using a box grater, then work quickly to prevent fat from warming above 50°F; this maintains distinct butter particles that create steam pockets, producing lighter dumplings with 15-20% more rise.ingredient35-40°F butter, <50°F handling temperature
- ✓Roll dumpling dough to exactly 1/4-inch thickness (use a ruler if needed) and cut into 1-inch squares because thinner doughs cook unevenly (soggy centers, tough edges) and larger pieces don't cook through in the 10-minute window.technique1/4-inch thickness, 1-inch squares
- ✓Return broth to a rolling boil (212°F) before adding dumplings and maintain medium heat (not low) for the first 2-3 minutes after dropping them in, because dumplings need vigorous convection to cook evenly; switching to low too early results in 30-40% gummy centers.timing212°F boil, medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then low heat for remaining 7-8 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Beef and Dumplings
A rich beef stew with pillowy soft dumplings, perfect for a hearty Sunday dinner.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 10.5 ounce can beef consommé
- 2-3 pound chuck roast (907-1.36 g)
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1 cup milk plus additional as needed
- 1/4 cup salted butter chilled
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch (15-30 ml)
- 2 cups self-rising flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 teaspoons salt or to taste (5-10 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1/4 cup cornmeal optional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
528
Protein
36g
Carbs
41g
Fat
26g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the chuck roast on both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the roast on both sides for 2-3 minutes each.
- 2
Directly to the Dutch oven, add the beef consommé, beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs de Provence. Add enough water to nearly cover the roast and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the roast is fall-apart tender.
- 3
Leaving the broth in the Dutch oven, carefully transfer the roast to a large bowl and shred with two forks.
- 4
To make the dumplings, in a medium bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, and black pepper. Working quickly, grate the chilled butter on a box grater, add to the flour mixture, and gently toss until coated.
- 5
Make a well in the center and add the milk. Use a spatula to fold until a dough just forms. If the dough seems too dry, add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 6
Lightly flour a clean work surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Using a butter knife or pizza cutter, cut into 1-inch squares. If desired, sprinkle the cornmeal evenly over the dough and gently pat to adhere.
- 7
Whisk together 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the simmering broth.
- 8
Return the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Drop the dumplings into the broth one at a time, then raise the heat to return the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through and the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes.
- 9
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the chuck roast for exactly 2-3 minutes per side at medium-high heat to develop a 0.5-1mm Maillard crust without overcooking the exterior, which concentrates umami compounds and improves broth flavor without drying the interior.timing2-3 minutes per side, 0.5-1mm crust depth
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch slurry (1-2 tablespoons cornstarch per 2-3 tablespoons cold water) and add it during the boil, not during simmering, because heat activates cornstarch's thickening power through gelatinization of starch granules at 140-180°F.technique1:1 cornstarch-to-water ratio, add at rolling boil (212°F)
- ✓Keep butter chilled to 35-40°F and grate it directly into flour using a box grater, then work quickly to prevent fat from warming above 50°F; this maintains distinct butter particles that create steam pockets, producing lighter dumplings with 15-20% more rise.ingredient35-40°F butter, <50°F handling temperature
- ✓Roll dumpling dough to exactly 1/4-inch thickness (use a ruler if needed) and cut into 1-inch squares because thinner doughs cook unevenly (soggy centers, tough edges) and larger pieces don't cook through in the 10-minute window.technique1/4-inch thickness, 1-inch squares
- ✓Return broth to a rolling boil (212°F) before adding dumplings and maintain medium heat (not low) for the first 2-3 minutes after dropping them in, because dumplings need vigorous convection to cook evenly; switching to low too early results in 30-40% gummy centers.timing212°F boil, medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then low heat for remaining 7-8 minutes