Dumplings are incredibly popular in my home, be they sweet or savoury. The kids love them cooked with the gravy - they think of them as a treat, yet they are so easy. The first dumplings were probably prepared from bread dough and often they replaced the meat altogether for many poor people. Today, with self-raising flour, they're quick, easy to make and make a bright, breezy change to a family casserole.

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram lean beef for casseroling
• 2 rindless rashers bacon, finely sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 250 grams button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 535 gram cna of your favourite cook-in-style sauce
• 2 cups beef stock
• Dumplings
• 1¼ cups self-raising flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1-2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, optional
• ¼ cup milk

Method

1. Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.
2. Cut the beef into 2-3cm sized pieces.
3. If wishing to brown the ingredients then heat a dash of oil in a frying pan and, when hot, brown the beef well. This will be best done in batches to prevent the meat from stewing. Set aside. Brown the bacon and onion if wished.
4. Into the pre-warmed slow cooker put the beef, bacon, onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms.
5. In a jug, stir together the garlic, cook-in-style sauce and stock. Pour into the slow cooker and stir as well as possible to mix. Cover with the lid.
6. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3 hours.
7. Add the dumplings, cover with the lid and continue cooking for a further hour on high. If possible, turn the dumplings halfway through the cooking time.
8. Serve the casserole with dumplings and seasonal green vegetables.
9. Dumplings
10. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until well mixed. Stir in the thyme if using. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, stirirng to make a moist scone-like dough.
11. Divide evenly into 12 pieces and, with floured hands, roll each into a ball.

Cooks Tips

Variations: - Make the dumplings with half of the flour being wholemeal self-raising flour. - Vary the herb used in the dumplings. - Add ½ cup grated Cheddar-style cheese.