Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Chicken and dumplings is the Southern equivalent to chicken noodle soup. When you are sick or you do not feel good, nothing else will do. And nobody will ever make it better than your mom or grandma. But here is how I made it for my mom when she went through chemotherapy. Tasting Guidelines: Taste is savory and aromatic. Weight is medium but can be balanced with vinegar. Texture is soft. Good for people with low to moderate treatment side effects. Best categorized as southern American.
Servings: 8 People
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Stock pot
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
Food Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. chicken shredded (breasts are easier on stomach)
- 1 pack frozen dumplings or you can make from scratch
- 1 bag frozen stew vegetables
- 1 c. cream optional
- 2 c. milk
- 1 large can chicken stock
- 1 c. water
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup flour
Flavor Balancers:
- 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. sugar
Aromatics:
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 1 tbsp. bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp. sage
Instructions
- In a large spaghetti pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add stew vegetables and cook until tender. Stir in flour to absorb extra butter. Mix in additional ingredients and seasonings, except dumplings. Allow to simmer 5 minutes to check seasoning levels. When proper seasoning levels have been reached, break and add frozen dumplings, slowly mixing to avoid sticking. Transfer to a slow cooker, and set on low heat and allow to work until dumplings begin to fall apart, about 2 hours. Change to the warm setting to avoid burning. Serve with cheddar cheese.
Notes
The key that made my mom go back for seconds and thirds was adding the red wine vinegar to remove the weight from the dish. There are two forms of chicken and dumplings. The thin version that is similar to chicken noodle soup and the heavier cream sauce version that I have here.