Wanted: Fave Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

**Becci** · 03-27-2008, 03:10 AM

I have never made Chicken and Dumplings before. In fact before joining FV I had never even heard of it before.
I understand the basics, but would like some finer points on making it please.
For example do you thicken the broth before serving?
Any and all ideas will be appreciated.

**COUNTRYBUMPKIN** · 03-27-2008, 07:55 AM

Hi Becci,
Whenever I need a recipe I alway's look to my favorite cooking website... recipezaar.com Here is the link for 147 chicken and dumpling recipes. I bet that you can find what you are looking for here.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.ph...Searcht=Search

**IntlMom** · 03-27-2008, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by Becci

I have never made Chicken and Dumplings before. In fact before joining FV I had never even heard of it before.
I understand the basics, but would like some finer points on making it please.
For example do you thicken the broth before serving?
Any and all ideas will be appreciated.

I actually posted this about a year ago when we were having a discusion about inexpensive meals. I then put it in a word document and have shared it several places since then. The prices in my "recipe" are from a year ago, so obviously things have gone up....like two and three times as much!~
Anyway, if you thicken the broth with either cornstarch or flour, you will get a thicker consitancy, obviously. You can make it as thick or as thin as you want. Same with the dumplings or noodles. You can roll them thin for noodles, or keep them thick for dumplings (that's my fav. way)

Here goes:

My homemade chicken noodle is more of a method than a recipe, but here goes:

Get a bag of cheap ckn hindqtrs - i can sometimes find them for .29 a pound, but not lately, I just used a bag the other day that was .39 a pound
(.39 a pound times 10 pound bag = 3.90)

Skin the chicken and boil. I add whatever kind 0f veggies I have on hand, or none if I don't have any. (carrots, onion, celery - use it up!)
Boil till the meat falls off the bone - about an hour, or much longer - it doesn;t matter. I then take the chicken out and strain the broth getting rid of the mushy veggies (I just use them for flavour). Let the broth sit overnite and then take off the fat in the AM. Take the chicken off the bone and separate into casserole portions. I get about 5 bags of nearly 2 cups each or so.
OK - so you have the broth and 5 bags of chicken (5 meals)
3.9/= .78 A MEAL for the meat (it's only .58 a meal at .29#)

Now, for the soup - put the broth and ONE BAG of chicken in a big pot - (.78 cents so far), let it heat up and make noodles/dumplings:
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 t salt
mix and add 2 cups flour
roll to desired thickness and let rest a few minutes.
then slice and drop in hot soup for an hour or so.

THAT'S IT!! I fugure the noodles have MAYBE 30 cents in them with the price of eggs going up 78 cents plus 30 cents = 1.08 FOR THE WHOLE MEAL I can feed my family of 5 this meal and it will feed us 2 for nights, and a few bowls for lunch! We put crackers or bread in it if we have it. If we don;t - it's still great!!

Thanks for letting me share this - it is truly my most tightwad meal!!!
__________________

**della92** · 03-27-2008, 09:45 AM

IntlMom,

Thank you for posting that recipe. I have been thinking of cooking things ahead and then freezing and having your method spelled out makes it soo much easier.

I am glad too, that Becci asked for a Chicken & Dumplings recipe!

Della

**IntlMom** · 03-27-2008, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by della92

IntlMom,

Thank you for posting that recipe. I have been thinking of cooking things ahead and then freezing and having your method spelled out makes it soo much easier.

I am glad too, that Becci asked for a Chicken & Dumplings recipe!

Della

No Problem. It;s sounds like it;s alot of work, but it;s not as overwhelming as it sounds. Plus it makes life SUPER EASY having cooked chicken in the freezer portioned out for a casserole any day of the week.

**Becci** · 03-28-2008, 12:46 AM

Thankyou everyone.
Sound very easy and similar to how I make Chicken Soup. I just need to thicken it and serve with dumplings.

**AmyMCGS** · 03-29-2008, 08:58 AM

Here's mine:
[ame="http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?p=161329#post161329"]EASY Chicken & Dumplings - Frugal Village Forums[/ame]

VERY easy and yummy!

**foxxyroxie** · 04-22-2008, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by Becci

Thankyou everyone.
Sound very easy and similar to how I make Chicken Soup. I just need to thicken it and serve with dumplings.

Yeah, basically it is. You can get as simple or fancy with it as you want. Use up leftover veggies or what you have on hand. Use fresh if you want but allow the extra cooking time. You can just use plain chicken (or beef, etc.) broth with or without meat.

My mom taught me to make dumplings with baking mix (her fav was Jiffy brand but I make my own). There is a recipe on the side of Jiffy or Bisquick box, or you can use 3 cups homemade baking mix to 3/4 cups milk or water. Stir to combine and drop by tablespoonful portions into very hot 'soup'. Cover tightly, do not peek, and cook for about 20 minutes.

**Becci** · 04-22-2008, 02:01 AM

Thanks Kim. I haven't made any yet, but I think I will be trying it in the next couple of weeks. The weather is getting cooler now.
I make my own Bisquik type mix too and use the quantities you mentioned to make a cobbler type topping for my casseroles but I add some parsley and parmesan too.

**bagpipes00** · 04-23-2008, 02:02 PM

I actually cheat a bit sometimes when I make chicken and dumplings....

I put 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, milk (to thin the soup down), and cooked chicken into a pot to simmer, then add cut up (into 1/4's) canned biscuits to the top. Cook a few minutes until the biscuits are cooked through.....of course my Mom, a great Southern cook, made her own everything from scratch, but I don't always have the time!

**antkaki** · 05-03-2008, 12:51 PM

i learned to make chicken and dumplin's from watching my moma make them:

put chicken (ususally breast and thighs) in a 5 qt pot to boil...have enough water to cover chicken and about 2" above chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper (i like lots of pepper), onion & garlic salt or powder (never was measured just shake enough in to start and add more as you go as to taste.

while that boils, she made dumplings up one of two ways, wither by making them from a mixture of 1-1/2 c flour, about 1 c water, salt and pepper to make a thick-ish dough. or the easy way was to take a can of biscuits, roll them flat and cut into strips and then cut in half.

when the chicken was done boiling, it normally falls off the bone or can be pulled off the bone easily...then it was basically shredded with two forks (pulling forks to shred it).

put the chicken back in the pot, bring back to a boil, lower heat and add about 1/2 c of milk mixed with about 2 Tblsp. flour (may need more depending on how thick you want the broth), stir with a wire whisk til blended, drop the dumplings in either by dropping some of the cut biscuits in or cutting small pieces from the flour dough and adding it...then i just let it cook on low for an hour or so til it tastes right and dumplings are cooked through.

this can be made in a crockpot as she did one time, but i didn't like it that way. i like to make it and by time it's done the whole house smells yummy!