Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium high heat in a pan and sear chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer chicken to your slow cooker. (My slow cooker has a stovetop safe pot so it makes searing so much easier!)

Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan, add the carrots, celery and onion. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softer, but not browned.

Add the vegetables to the slow cooker and pour in chicken broth. Season with thyme and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

When chicken is tender and falling apart, remove from the slow cooker and shred it or cut it in to bite size pieces. Taste the broth. If it needs more flavoring, add 1-2 tsp chicken bouillon (or 1-2 cubes). Remove about 2 cups of hot broth from the slow cooker then add the chicken back in. In a bowl, slowly whisk 1/2 cup of flour and the broth together until it is smooth. It’s easier to add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredient while whisking.

Slowly add the flour mixture back to the slow cooker while stirring or whisking. Cover.

Make the dumplings by first whisking together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. You’ll need the remaining flour, baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and parsley. Next, melt the butter and whisk into the dry ingredients with the milk.

Drop the dumpling mixture a spoonful at a time onto the hot broth. It should make 8-10 dumplings depending on the size of your spoon. Cover and let the dumpling cook for about 30-60 minutes (slow cooker temps vary widely). They should begin to brown on the top and feel firm. Serve in large bowls and enjoy these slow cooker chicken and dumplings!