Review - Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch (CL - 12/05)

[Peggy]

WARNING: Do not make this recipe on a weeknight!! I made this for Sunday dinner, and it's a good thing I started early in the evening. It took a long time to make, it's fairly complicated and "it uses too many pots, pans, and other kitchen stuff" (my DH's complaint as he is the one that does the dishes!).

That said, the end result was very satisfying in a comfort food kind of way. The homemade broth was much more complex than that made from a can and the "browned" flour step really adds a lot of flavor to it. It's amazing how big the dumplings grew from the heaping teaspoons dropped on the surface!

Overall, the recipe was a success but I'd have to think long and hard before repeating it because of the amount of work and time involved.

Peggy

[Tiger]

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto! to everything you said Peggy.

Thankgoodness I was reading your review today at 2:30pm. After debating whether to make it or not, I ran up stairs to get it started. got dinner on the table 6pm.

It was good and my picky kids liked it but it was too much work and way too many dishes for what it was. I have easier chicken and dumpling recipes, so I can easily say never again!

[Molli526]

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto!

I agree with Peggy and Patty.

While it was a good recipe, it was a lot of work, a lot of pans and definitely something for the weekend when you have time.

[Terri_A]

If you do have a better Chicken and Dumplings recipe....I'm in the market for one if you'll share! :D

[PoppyJ]

If you do have a better Chicken and Dumplings recipe....I'm in the market for one if you'll share! :D

Me too. I LOVE chicken and dumplings but can never make it like my Mom does. I looked at this recipe and realized I would never make it because it was too time comsuming. So any recipes anyone cares to share would be greatly appreciated.

[tea4one]

This recipe looks so good too. But if it takes half a day to make I won't be able to do it. Has anyone tried the one from last month?
Here is the recipe

Quick Chicken and Dumplings
Dinner Tonight Recipes

In this recipe, flour tortillas stand in for the traditional biscuit dough. To quickly thaw frozen mixed vegetables, place them in a colander and rinse with warm water for about a minute.

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup prechopped onion
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) box frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and vegetables; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
While chicken mixture cooks, combine water, flour, and broth. Gradually stir broth mixture into chicken mixture. Stir in salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in tortilla strips, and cook 2 minutes or until tortilla strips soften. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 366(23% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 29.8g; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 104mg; SODIUM 652mg; FIBER 5.3g; IRON 3.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.3g

Melanie Barnard
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

[bkiaj]

I made this over 2 days. I cooked the chicken and reduced the broth on day one. Day 2, I reheated the broth and went from there (I think it was steps 1 & 2 on day 1 and 3 to the end on day 2).

It did take too many pans, but I didn't feel overwhelmed with time since I split it up. I was even wondering if I could have skipped the broth in the bags to defat it and just skim the fat on day 2, but I didn't try it this time.

My broth didn't thicken, and since no one else has mentioned that, I'm sure it was operator error (par for the course!). I loved the flavors, though DH wanted more salt (and pepper).

I thought this tasted just like my Mom's, with the dumplings being a bit lighter in this recipe. Her method of making chicken in dumplings is very easy, though probably high in fat and sodium:

Shred chicken, add cream of chicken soup (with milk added). Heat. Mix Bisquick for dumplings, add to top, cook till done. Much easier!!

I enjoyed the process and the flavors, but will save for the mood of wanting to create from scratch!

Karen

[donleyk]

, I reheated the broth and went from there
Karen

Karen, how much broth would you say you had? I am thinking about taking some serious short cuts with this and haven't tried gauging the liquid. Have a guess? TIA

[bkiaj]

I had 8 cups of liquid, after I reduced it. It was a nice amount, just didn't thicken properly, so it was soupy rather than stewy.

Karen

[Robyn1007]

I really enjoy this recipe:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken and Rosemary Dumplings

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Entrees

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Soup:
4 cups chicken broth -- fat removed
3 cups water
1 pound chicken drumsticks -- skinned
1 pound chicken breast half without skin -- boneless
2 thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dumplings:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried
rosemary
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter -- softened
1/2 cup buttermilk -- low fat
1 large egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
Remaining ingredient:
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until
chicken is done. Remove pan from heat. Remove chicken pieces from broth;
cool slightly. Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl; discard
solids. Remove chicken from bones. Discard bones; chop chicken into
bite-sized pieces. Set chicken aside.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and
garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add reserved broth
mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer 10 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs.
Keep warm.

To prepare dumplings, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level
with a knife. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, rosemary, baking powder, and 1/4
teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2
knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg,
stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring
just until combined.

Return chopped chicken to the broth mixture; bring to a simmer over
medium-high heat. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water, stirring with a
whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Add flour mixture to pan;
simmer 3 minutes. Drop the dumpling dough, 1 tablespoon per dumpling, onto
chicken mixture to form 12 dumplings. Cover and cook 7 minutes (do not let
broth boil). Sprinkle with black pepper.

Description:
"Spoonfuls of seasoned buttermilk biscuit dough form light, fluffy
dumplings in this classic American dish."
Source:
"Cooking Light, APRIL 2004"
S(Internet Address):
"http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=
isplayRecipe&recipe_id=604749"

[momqat]

This one is really good:

Chicken Stew w/Biscuits
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Stew:
3 whole chicken leg quarters
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion -- chopped
1 tbsp herbes de Provence*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Fat-Free Half-and-Half
1/2 10 oz pkg frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen small whole onions

Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 lb cold unsalted butter (1 stick) -- diced
1/4 cup Fat-Free Half-and-Half
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley -- chopped
1 egg -- mixed with 1 tbsp water -- for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place the chicken leg quarters on a sheet pan and rub with garlic oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4-6 cups of cooked chicken.
In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Saute the onions with the herbes de Provence over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 minute, stirring, until thick. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the half-and-half. Add the cubed chicken, peas, and onions. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.
Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8" thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2-1/2" round cutter.
Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush with the egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.
~~~~~~~
* Make sure it has lavender in it. This is so important for the flavor and scent of the dish
Book note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

[Terri_A]

Thanks for the recipes....I can't wait to try some! It's COLD for Houston this week, so perhaps over the weekend there will be dumplings in my house!!!!

[donleyk]

I had 8 cups of liquid, after I reduced it. It was a nice amount, just didn't thicken properly, so it was soupy rather than stewy.

Karen

Thanks, that will help. I didn't get to this this weekend so maybe this week.

[mundy]

If you want to go the whole way to super simple try this recipe from the Southern Living website (I've cut it down to serve two) Its rainy night comfort food for me.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 celery ribs -- sliced
2/3 carrots -- sliced
Vegetable cooking spray
1 can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth -- (14 1.2oz)
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup reduced fat baking mix
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup chopped cooked chicken

Sauté celery and carrots in a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over med-high heat 6 min. or until tender. Stir in broth, poultry seasoning, and pepper; bring to a boil.
Stir together baking mix and milk until blended.
Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; roll or pat dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 3x2 inch strips.
Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth; stir in chicken. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes.