Does anybody have a real chicken and dumpling recipe?

rwsmith

rwsmith

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I started cooking again recently after a layoff of many years. I've been doing fine up until tonight. I got a recipe for chicken and dumplings off the net and spent a couple hours making it and not only is it awful, it's nothing like what I call chicken and dumplings. It's more like chicken soup with dumplings. All the seasonings I put in must have cancelled each other out because it tasted like dishwater. I looked for more recipes and they are all about the same!!!!!:eek::eek::eek:

Ok, let me calm down and describe what chicken and dumplings are to me. I'm a southern boy and my Mom made these with the rolled out strips of dumpling and a thick sauce with chunks of chicken in it. That is a lot of work and my Mom started making drop dumplings which were faster and ALMOST as good, but the whole shebang was still chicken and dumplings. Cracker Barrel's chicken and dumplings are CLOSE to what I'm used to but I'd like more flavor.

SO.....does anybody have a REAL chicken and dumpling recipe???
 
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Don't have the recipe, but my Dad's wife makes chicken and dumplings that is the best I've tasted. It's thick and flavorful. She uses - and I know it doesn't sound good, but it is - canned biscuits torn into very small pieces. Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings is probably the best I've had at a restaurant, but hers are better.

Maybe I can get her to give me the recipe . . .
 
boil chicken, with added seasoning, lots of black pepper and salt for me, buy can of pop top biscuits, tear biscuits in half and submerge in boiled chicken and let simmer until the biscuits/dumplings are done to suit your taste

add more salt and pepper and eat:)
 
Now you guys have got me craving chicken and dumplings, I haven't had that in years!! I see a trip to Cracker Barrel tomorrow. Wish I could help you out on the recipe, but I don't have a clue. My mom made a great bowl of it but I never paid attention how she did it, I know it took her quite a while to put it all together, she made most everything from scratch.
 
I don't know how authentic this is (I made it up) but here goes:

Boil your chicken to cook it, making a broth in the process. Chop carrots and celery, cook in broth. Remove chicken, carrots and celery. Add a couple of chicken bouillon cubes or powder to broth and then dried chicken gravy to right thickness (allow it to thicken). Season (oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc) to taste. Return everything to gravy. Make Bisquick biscuits (drop or roll) and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, then covered for 10 minutes.

I like to brown the chicken in some hot oil after boiling to crisp it up. That's just me.
 
Start your chicken to boil ( 2 breast halves and I like to throw in a couple of thigh quarters)
Add salt, pepper, and whatever other seasoning you like
Add some chicken boulion to taste to strengthen
Remove the chicken after 45min to an hour and let cool down enough to clean it up into smaller pieces.
Now, the fun part.....dumplings
Use the largest bowl you have. It helps to keep the flour inside and not on the counter.
Add:
2 cups flour
1 tbls baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Dive in and mix all that together
Add some flour if needed so you can handle it without glueing your fingers together
Sprinkle some flour on a large flat surface and a rolling pin
Break your dough ball at least in half or thirds and roll out each to about 1/8" thick
Cut that into pieces about an inch or two square
Sprinkle with flour to keep things from sticking
Get your stock up to a boil again and start dropping the dumplings in
I cook them for about 20 min before doing anything else.
Make a thin paste with some flour and cold water- mix it well so there's no dry flour. Make about a cup of it.
Slowly pour that into slow boiling stock and dumplings, stirring the whole time until it reaches the thickness you want.
Add chicken pieces and simmer for 20 minutes or so stirring gently to keep from sticking in bottom of the pot.
If you want your chicken to be more shredded instead of chunks, stir more vigorously. Add salt/ pepper to taste.
That's it!
That makes at least a gallon.
Just cut all ingredients by half if you don't need as much.
It freezes well also. We make some for the MIL in small containers for her freezer.
BTW, these are chewy dumplings and not like a bisquit.
 
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That dumpling recipe is also the base for my Grandmothers noodles she used to make for her soups.
Just roll it out as thin as possible and cut it into long thin strips.
Good stuff!
 
Rule3 said:
Although home made is best, any kind of biscuit dumpling is harder and a pain to make correctly. Kinda like pie crusts, these days people cheat! Use some Pillsbury Biscuit. No one will know!

You can spend time adjusting your flavor in the chicken.:)

Easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe from Pillsbury.com
Click to expand...
That's probably good, but, he asked for a Real ( which I took to mean real homemade) recipe.
There's good and then there's homemade.
Chicken and dumplings vs. chicken and bisquits.
 
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Well, maybe Cracker Barrel is different here. Their chicken and dumplings are the worst slop I've ever seen pose as C&D. Biscuits aren't a suitable excuse for dumplings either. A quick way to make it is use rotisserie chicken, or roast your own. Use chicken stock for liquid, not broth. Pick your chicken off the bones and cut it to the size pieces you want. Make dumplings from scratch, as you want. Put chicken in stock, heat, taste for seasoning. I like poultry seasoning, maybe add a chicken bulion cube. Black pepper, a little bit of red pepper, thyme, whatever you like. Drop your dumplings in the hot pot and let them cook, they should thicken the broth as they cook.
 
RW: My wife spent the first 28 yrs of her life in the deep south. She cooked professionally until becoming an elementary school teacher. She has a couple that you might like that is deep south as they get. I really like them both. It would work best for me to email them to you. If that works for you, PM me with your email. You have her permission to post them here later on if you should so wish. .......... Or you could just wait until late this year when her cookbook is to be published. .... :-)
 
Jessie said:
That's probably good, but, he asked for a Real ( which I took to mean real homemade) recipe.
There's good and then there's homemade.
Chicken and dumplings vs. chicken and bisquits.
Click to expand...


OK then, never ever use Chicken Bullion it is just salt water and flavoring. Use real chicken stock or at least buy the stock in a waxed cardboard container.:D;)

Also use fresh herbs not the dried stuff. We are getting nit picky here.:D
 
I agree. When you boil the chicken, you can add veggies and that will make a good stock, but sometimes not strong enough plus you have to strain it out again.
I'll cheat with a bullion cube or two.
 
Most recipes for SCRATCH C&D includes a dash or two of sage. BUT BE CAREFUL. One grain too much and it's ruined. I try to get just enough to blend in all the flavors but you don't want the sage flavor to stand out.

My mother used to make scratch dumplings and they were heavenly. Perfect texture every time. But that's a lot of work. When I get lazy I use the canned biscuits.
 
I can use all of the suggestions above.....

I cooked the chicken in the pot, kept the broth stock and added seasonings and vegetables and boullion cubes.

Made my own dumplings with seasoning and dropped them in according to the recipe to cook.

Even if I LIKED this form of chicken and dumplings it was terrible. I want the thick gravy like stuff with little pieces of dumpling and chunks of chicken suspended in it.

PS I told my son we were going to have leftover chicken and dumplings tonight and he recoiled.:D
 
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You guys GOT to learn how to make dumplings,,, the right way,,,

This was SUPER hard to make,,, until I figured out the wife's mini food processor was the trick.

Here we go:
Get a half gallon of water on the stove,,, it will be boiling soon!!

Next crack a couple eggs into the food processor (REMOVE THE SHELLS!! :D)
Add two tablespoons of water.

Now the tricky part,,, start adding flour, regular flour, NOT the self rising kind.
(If you use self rising, the dumplings will expand,,, not good!! :confused:)

Keep adding flour until the batter is "thick",,,
my wife has a wimpy food processor,
when the motor stalls,,, the batter is done!! :eek:

By now, the water ought to be boiling,,, if not, wait for a boil,,,,

Now, dip a regular spoon in the water.

With the wet spoon, scoop a small spoonful of the batter into the boiling water.
Repeat, repeat, repeat,,,, etc,,,,,

As soon as the last spoonful is in the water, drain the dumplings with a colander.

Put the dumplings into the whatever, and enjoy!!

Whatever note: these can be used with chicken,,, or beef stew, pea soup,,, ANYTHING!!

Once a year (NO MORE!! ) you are allowed to do the following
Prepare some bacon.
Brown the dumplings with the bacon fat.
Scramble a few eggs, pour in the browned dumplings.
Cook the dumplings/eggs as scrambled eggs.
WOW!! that is my ONCE A YEAR MEAL!!
I know,,, your DR. says it is bad for you,,, BUT,, you gotta live a little!! :)
 
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