Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings = comfort food.  Simple ingredients, easy to make and tasty---that's what makes comfort food so great!

There are many different ways to make chicken and dumplings...dropped dumplings, rolled dumplings, canned biscuit dumplings, Bisquik dumplings...to add veggies or not to add veggies, etc... 

I like the chicken and dumplings from Cracker Barrel and decided to try this recipe because it looks similar to theirs.

Recipe Link

Ingredients 

2 cups Flour
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter

½ cup Milk

½ cup buttermilk*

2 quarts Chicken Broth
3 cups Cooked Chicken
Freshly ground pepper and salt

Directions 

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk and buttermilk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I used a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.

Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done! Serve and sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.

*If you don't have buttermilk, 1 cup milk will work fine. I had some buttermilk on hand and decided to use it.

Adapted slightly from Tasty Kitchen

The Results...
Overall, I liked this recipe.  Since I already had cooked chicken in the fridge, this was very easy to put together.  The gravy had a nice consistency (not too thick or thin).  I have to be honest, I haven't been to Cracker Barrel in quite a while.  There isn't one near us.  It's probably been at least a year, maybe two since I've had Cracker Barrel's Chicken and Dumplings.  But, from what I remember this recipe tastes very close.   

What did everyone else think?  Mixed reviews.  2 out of our 4 kids liked this recipe.  My husband thought it was good, but he prefers 'dropped-style' dumplings more than these rolled-out dumplings.  He also suggested I add veggies next time.  That's how he prefers to eat chicken and dumplings. 

What is your favorite way to eat Chicken and Dumplings?


This recipe is featured at Mom's Test Meal Mondays @ Mom's Test Kitchen for a favorite comfort food!

This recipe is shared at:
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club