Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula as it cooks, and let it brown for about 5-7 minutes until fully cooked through with no pink remaining. If there’s excess fat, drain it, leaving enough to keep the mixture moist and flavorful.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet, stirring them into the browned beef. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.

Stir in Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper, mixing well to combine. Let this mixture simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over the beef mixture while stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes. Gradually pour in the beef broth, continuing to stir until the mixture thickens to a gravy-like consistency, which should take around 3-4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt for the dumplings. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then stir in the milk until just combined.

Drop generous spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the surface of the simmering beef mixture. Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low, letting the dumplings steam for 15 minutes.

Once the dumplings are puffed and cooked through, remove the skillet from heat. If desired, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top.