Chicken and dumplings

[au4stree]

I loosely follow pioneer brand’s recipe. I do not put veggies in it, except to make my broth. I take a whole chicken and quarter it. Brown it in my Dutch oven, take that out then fill with plenty of water. Rough chop some celery, carrots, onion and a few cloves of garlic. Couple bay leaves, some thyme, parsley, S&P to taste. Put chicken back in to finish cooking. When chicken is cooked and veggies have given up the ghost fish all out. Toss the veggies, let Chxn cool, then pull the meat. Shred if you like. Put back into pot with delicious broth. Mix up a batch of pioneer mix “biscuits” and drop in boiling broth. Drop quickly and put lid on, let simmer about 6-8 mins. I also put a pioneer gravy pack in if I’m feeling froggy. Don’t peak when they’re simmering, the steam helps.

I have also made dumplings from scratch, can’t tell much of a difference really so I stick to the pioneer mix. My family does not like the “slicks” or as my son calls them fat noodles.

[fzxdoc]

It's a dish that brings back memories, for sure. Watching those veined, arthritic hands of grandmothers, making that mound of flour, adding other ingredients, mixing and rolling the dough out nice and not too thin. Then scoring the dumpling shapes so quickly and bloop! into the bubbling broth they went. Children standing around, watching, fascinated, tummies rumbling in anticipation.

Kathryn

[Donw]

Your post brought back so many fond memories, and so eloquently stated besides.

[texastweeter]

We must have had the same grandmother

[jayjordan]

Reading this thread has brought back memories of the delicious chicken and dumplings my mother made (the flat kind).
I’ve never been able to make it the same, seems like there’s a lost art from those grandmothers and mothers that Kathryn wrote about. In her later years Mom quit making the dumplings from scratch and began using sliced up flour tortillas instead. Still good, not the same.

[Finster]

What is a dumpling??

[Donw]

I was expecting a Delaware style chicken and slippery dumplings recipe from you.🙂

[Finster]

I actually use a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, and I'm terrible at making dumplings, so I use dried thin dumplings that I get at the local Amish farmers market

[SheilaAnn]

We just watched this episode.

[Panhead John]

I haven’t made chicken and dumplings in a few years, this thread has me ready to do it again. While looking around online, I found this recipe which has great reviews and looks to be a really good one! The pics sure look good anyway!

https://thecozycook.com/chicken-and-dumplings/#wprm-recipe-container-42435

[Hulagn1971]

Oak Smoke this is the recipe my wife uses. She does not use evaporated milk as described, she uses whole milk or half and half instead. She always uses cooked chicken, breasts pulled from ziplocs in the freezer and set in the sous vide bath for a couple hours at 150 degrees.
Ingredients:

• ▢6 tablespoons butter
• ▢1 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢1 cup matchstick carrots
• ▢1 cup diced celery
• ▢4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, or half and half
• ▢1 (32 oz) quart chicken stock, +1 extra cup of broth if using raw chicken
• ▢4 cups shredded cooked chicken, or 1.5 lbs raw, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• ▢1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
• ▢2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
• ▢salt, to taste

Dumplings:

• ▢2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
• ▢1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
• ▢¾ cup (6 oz) whole milk
• ▢4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

• In a large heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables being to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add the evaporated milk and chicken stock, stirring to combine. You are making a roux to thicken the soup and make it creamy. It's very important to keep stirring to prevent burning or lumps!
• If using raw chicken: Add 1 cup more of chicken broth (or water) and add the raw chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken and return it to the soup. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, while you make the dumplings.
• If using pre-cooked chicken: Bring to a boil and add the chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, while you make the dumplings.

Dumplings

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it.
• Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together just until a dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk. Do not over-mix this batter, stir it until it comes together, otherwise your dumplings can be dense!
• Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them. You can also use two spoons to scoop the dumplings. Use one spoon to scoop 2 tablespoons of dough, then use the other spoon to push the dough into the pot. Try to keep the dough balls the same size for even cooking.
• Place the lid on your pot and lower the heat to a low simmer. You don’t want the bottom of the soup to burn, but want the soup to still be simmering (a low bubble) to cook the dumplings.
• Cook dumplings for 15 minutes with the pot lid on. Gently stir the soup/dumplings and cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through. About half way through the cook time, I will usually open the lid once and press the dumplings back under the broth. I will also break up any dumplings that may be sticking together.
• If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes and check again.

[Oak Smoke]

Thank you!

[Hulagn1971]

Oak Smoke absolutely! Now I'm hungry for a bowl.

[TripleB]

Made a double portion just this past Monday. Make it about 6 times/year and is a family favorite. Chicken n' Dumplings is pretty easy to make and I guess I make drop dumplings.

1. Buy a rotisserie chicken. Pull the meat, set aside.
2. Make about 2 quarts chicken broth from the rotisserie chicken's bones, skin and drippings. Add whatever you like for the broth.
3. Make a light brown roux.
4. Add chicken broth and create that type of broth you like for your CnD's....thin, silky, thicker, whatever.
5. Saute sliced carrots and celery in butter until tender. Add to broth. Check broth consistency and season as appropriate.
6. Make dumplings.
7. Drop dumpling mixture by the Tbsp into the broth. Cover with lid and leave it alone - 10 minutes "no peeke".
8. Viola.

[Oak Smoke]

Good stuff!

[barelfly]

Hey! Phillies Blue DO making an appearance!!

I’d dive head first into that bowl of goodness!!!

[au4stree]

I should add, like most soups and stews, my chicken and dumplings are better the next day. I don’t make the rules. Thanks for posting, been a walk down memory lane.

[WI Bubba]

After years of slick dumplings my mother made drop dumplings once. And only once.

[texastweeter]

Whole chicken scalded and plucked
eggs
Onion or two
Carrots
Thyme
Salt
pepper
pie crust
flour
milk

let me start by saying when she says whole chicken she means feet on, lol (usually an old hen that is not laying much anymore). When she says milk we are talking whole raw milk, probably stll warm from the cow. The pie crust dough is her lard based pie crust (I'll have to find that recipe too) onions and carrots and thyme came from her garden, and the eggs were yard eggs, however many she found that morning. This is a very basic recipe, she was a depression kid. After my grandfather returned from the war, they raised my mother, my aunt, and my two uncles on a homestead in deep East Texas in a 3 bedroom home with no electricity, running water, or AC that they built themselves from the timber that grew on that hill. It's not fancy, its not glamorous and its not expensive. What it IS, is cheap, nutritious, warming, and taste like winters at my Grammy and Grandpa's house.

Put chicken in pot cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer chicken until done. Remove chicken and let cool. While chicken is cooking, roll out pie crust to be twice as thick as normal. Cut into squares and toss with flour. Meanwhile boil eggs, cool, peel and chop. Also bring broth back to a boil, add vegetables, thyme, pie crust, and salt and pepper. Reduce to simmer and simmer until tender. Shred chicken and add back to pot. Add flour to milk and stir in until thickened. Add in chopped boiled eggs and salt pepper and more thyme to taste.

[gcdmd]

Where in East Texas did your grandparents live? Their story sounds like my wife's maternal grandparents, who lived near Grand Saline and cooked on a wood stove.

[texastweeter]

gcdmd Gary TX. We'll, I grew up in Wills Point TX right down 80 from Grand Saline.

[gcdmd]

My wife was born in Grand Saline and spent her early years there and moved to Victoria at age 12 and has spent most of her life here since then.

Her father's parents lived in a small community called Providence. Most of her family are buried in a small churchyard there.

[barelfly]

I gotta say this is a really cool thread, getting so see the variations of some chicken & dumplings. Whether from various websites or from families passing on generational recipes, it’s fun to read through everyone’s comments and memories from this one simple yet soul warming dish!

Thanks for starting this thread and appreciate everyone sharing their recipes!

[Oak Smoke]

There’s a bunch of other comfort foods we can share. This is definitely the right season for them. I learned a ton from this one. It’ll pay dividends for years. Start a thread on one of your favorites.

[texastweeter]

Yessir!!! So may comfort foods. Right off the top for me, there is chicken spaghetti, squirrel stew, and venison meat pies. I must admit though chicken and dumplings are my #1

[Oak Smoke]

texastweeter believe it or not I just had chicken spaghetti for the first time two weeks ago. I’m a huge fan now!

[Panhead John]

If anyone wants a good chicken spaghetti recipe, this is one I’ve made several times and it’s really good!

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/texas-chicken-spaghetti/?_cmp=recipeoftheday&_ebid=recipeoftheday10252022&_mid=544437&ehid=421e6aa495113cbae52b270d1a3eae17259baa55&os_ehash=421e6aa495113cbae52b270d1a3eae17259baa55&_PermHash=fa5f05b35bf9d6e84d26aa24b6ebfb4279965557481cbc120d2aa028aabd1c90&tohMagStatus=NONE

[SheilaAnn]

My comforts foods:

• mashed potatoes
• stuffed cabbage (Galumpki) or piggies as my MIL called them
• french toast with blackberry jam
• CFS
• B&G
• peanut buster parfaits from Dairy Queen
• mac and cheese
• fried chicken
• broccoli rice casserole (no canned soup for me anymore, I make it from scratch)

[barelfly]

That’s a good list.

[gcdmd]

When I was cooking in a soup kitchen our version of slick dumplings was to cut flour tortillas into strips and toss them into the soup.

[SheilaAnn]

Gotta do whatcha need to do!