Kitchen

[Southernfriedchick]

Comfort food at it's best and I haven't made that in a long time. It's time!!

[ROMARY]

On 1/23/2015 Carmie said:

On 1/23/2015 Perkup said:

If you don't want to make the dumplings yourself, there is a brand (I don't have any right now to get the name) that comes in a plastic bag in the freezer section. They are excellent. Look for them at your local store.

Our stores sell them frozen in a red/yell box. The brand name is Anne's. I have tried them when I was in a hurry, They aren't bad, but not as good as homemade.

You just break up the dough while frozen and drop them in the broth. Very easy.

What a beautiful photo, and beautiful name, too. I like the name 'Carmie'.

[Toppers]

I love dumplings. My Mom used to make them while I was growing up. Sometimes she would make them with Bisquick, too. I have made them with Bisquick myself, and they have turned out good that way, too.

[BeckiWV]

Chicken and dumplings (no formal recipe, I just "do" it, LOL).

I put several large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (usually 3 or 4) in the crockpot (a dutch oven or covered stockpot on the stove will work also) with enough water to cover them generously so they can "dance" around (but you don't want too much water, like up to the lid either).

I also throw in a soup size can of chicken broth. I let it cook on medium-high (a good simmer) until tender. When the chicken is tender, I break it up a little bit with a fork in the crockpot and turn down the heat a bit and start preparing dumplings. This would be about 30 minutes or so before I would want to serve the dish.

To make dumplings, I crack 2 large or 3 small eggs into a 2 cup measuring cup. I add the same amount of water to the eggs (example: 1/4 cup eggs, 1/4 cup water). I then throw in a little salt and a good bit of pepper (about twice the amount of salt). I then whisk the eggs and water to blend.

Then I start adding in enough flour to make a really soft, sticky dough. At this point, some may roll this out onto a floured surface with a floured rolling pin and cut into squares or strips. My friend who told me how to makes this cuts hers into strips.

I am pretty lazy, LOL, so I just drop the dough by big spoonfuls from the measuring cup right into the crockpot, and put the lid back on and let it cook at a lower heat for about a half hour or so until the dumplings are done. I might gently stir a couple of times so nothing burns on the bottom (which is why the heat needs lowered somewhat).

The flour on the dumplings should thicken the broth up as well. If it still looks a little thin or watery to me about 15 minutes before it's done, I might mix a very small amount of water and flour and pour it in and that thickens it up after a few minutes. I don't always need to do that. You can also add a little water if it looks too thick.

You don't want to cook the dumplings a really long time so they don't get too hard, about a half hour, so that's why I put them in toward the end.

When it's all done and looks right to me (it will have a white gravy look to it), I stir it up a little to break up any large chicken pieces, add a little more salt and pepper if needed, then I pour it into a big bowl. It's especially good with mashed potatoes. In fact, my family insists on mashed potatoes with it.

(I had a picture but it came out HUGE so I deleted it)

[ECBG]

I believe chicken and dumplings started on farms when the yard rooster needed to be stewed to tenderize it. Biscuits were often served at breakfast and leftover ones might have been added to the chicken broth to keep from having waste.

I'm a southern cook and I make dumplings occasionally. I did more when we had the boys at home. I do add onions and carrots to the water when cooking the chicken and that is not usually done. I don't use eggs or shortening in my dumplings because Im a "heart healthy" cook. Sometimes I add chives to the dumpling dough.

My family usually wants cranberry sauce with this dish and I also do fresh green beans.

*Drop dumplings are like a large cloud with gravy over it.

*Cut dumplings are rolled very thin using a floured board, cut extremely narrow and dropped one at a time into the gravy.

Dumpling dough

2 cups self rising flour (I like White Lily, it seems lighter).

3/4 cups canola oil

Mix with a fork. Set aside.

In a dutch oven, I stew four chicken breasts in lightly salted and peppered water.

Sit the chicken aside and increase the broth to about three quarts by adding chicken broth.

Thicken to a thin gravy by wisking in thickening from flour and cold water.

Slowly simmer until slightly thickened gravy is developed.

Break chicken into medium sized chunks and add back to gravy.

Dip large spoon in gravy. Cut off the dough about the size of a lemon and place on top of the gravy, pour gravy over. Continue to place dough on gravy and cover with gravy.

Cover, lower heat slightly and cook for about fifteen minutes. The covered pot is like an oven.

They reheat best by plate full in the microwave-if any are left!

Enjoy!