Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

6 cups chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 c. frozen green beans (optional)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 t. pepper
salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. cornstarch

Dumplings:*
1 1/2 c. SR flour
2 T. oil
3/4 c. milk

Add all stew ingredients together in a lined crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours. Combine cornstarch with 1/4 c. broth from crockpot. Stir to remove lumps. Add back to the crockpot. Stir to combine. After 5 hours, turn the crockpot up to high and be sure the broth is boiling slightly before adding the dumplings to the crockpot. Using a tablespoon, drop dumplings on top of stew mixture. Be careful to place the dumplings on top and not into the stew. After adding dumplings, cook for 1 hour on high, or until dumplings are cooked through and no longer raw in the center.

Dumpling instructions: Combine flour with oil and cut into flour with a fork. Add milk and stir with a large spoon just until flour is moist.

Total cooking time is 6 hours.

Remove bay leaves before serving.

*May also use potato gnocchi instead for the dumplings. Add at the end of cook time.