I woke up at 1:17am last night barely able to move. Too cold to move, actually.
Somehow I mustered up the energy to kick my leg back to find Ben – my personal, portable heating unit – but foot met air. Freezing. Cold. Air.
Damnit! I cursed inside my head. He must have fallen asleep on the couch again! As husbands sometimes do.
Too chilled to reach my arm outside of the covers, grab my phone on the nightstand and call him up, and way too cold to actually, you know, get out of bed to go get him, I burrowed deep. Deep into the recesses of my blankets, where I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to will myself back into dreamland.
I was so tired from working out and not sleeping well this weekend that… it worked … But any other day!! 
Yes, Fall went out in a blazing 67 degree day of glory a couple weeks ago, and I think it’s now safe to say that it’s officially the season that shall not be named in Iowa.
Flurries seem to be fluttering around at all hours of the of day, static is dominating my life, and all I want is warm carbs. Tonight, to combat the now constant, chilly temps, I made the warmest, most comforting dinner I could think of. A cozy, culinary hug, if you will. Homemade Chicken & Dumplings.
I am obsessed with this dish!!! It takes a little bit of time to make if you’re going the 100% homemade route like I did, but it is so worth the effort!
This ultimate comfort food recipe is broken into two parts:
1. The chicken
2. The dumplings
Bet you didn’t see that one coming…
First we start with the chicken which, after simmering low and slow with aromatic vegetables, produces a savory and luxurious stock, and juicy shredded chicken for the Chicken & Dumplings. You’ll want a 4-5lb fryer chicken for the recipe. Take it out of the wrapping and remove the giblets inside. Don’t be scared.
PS I’m not trying to sound ignorant or anything – but are all chickens sold in grocery store…female? My family and I were having a debate about this at Thanksgiving. We all know hens are female, and roosters are male – but they’re both still considered chickens, right? Some members of the family are claiming that only hens can be called chickens, and thus, are the only ones people eat. Please help.
Chop up the aforementioned aromatic vegetables including onion, celery and carrot.
Place the chicken and veggies into the largest stock or soup pot you’ve got, and pour in enough water to completely cover the chicken.
Simmer the chicken low and slow for an hour, and you’ll be rewarded with this.
The most succulent, juicy, tender chicken you ever did see. Rest him or her (?) on a plate for now.
Turn your attention back to the pot which now contains cups and cups of uber-flavorful, homemade chicken stock. Whee! (I don’t know why, but making/having homemade chicken stock is just about the most thrilling thing ever!)
Line a colander with cheesecloth and strain the stock through it.
I got this cheesecloth from the regular grocery store in the disposable baking dishes and cooking utensils aisle, for about $2.50.
Discard the veggies, and you are left with pure, liquid GOLD my friends!
You should end up with around 12 cups of stock, 8 of which you’ll need for the Chicken & Dumplings.
FYI - after the stock cools, place it in the fridge and the fat will rise to the top and harden. Then you can just remove and discard.
After the chicken has cooled a bit, remove the meat from the bones, and shred it all up. You should get about 6-7 cups total from the chicken, but you’ll only need about 3 for the recipe.
Best chicken I ever had.
Mmmkay. Part 1 = done. Time to turn our attention to part 2 - the dumplings! These puppies are pretty much foolproof. Start with flour, baking powder and salt, then cut in some butter.
You can use a pastry cutter, a fork – or go old school like me and use your fingers. Just squish the flour and butter between your fingers until it’s the texture of cornmeal.
Next, add in enough skim milk so that when you stir the dough with a fork, it comes together in a ball.
Place some of the dough onto a heavily floured surface. As in – no inch of the cutting board should be without a thick dusting of it.
Flour a rolling pin, and roll the dough pretty thin.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into approx 2″ x 2″ squares – it doesn’t have to be perfect. I showed my inner Type A THE DOOR with this recipe in regards to the flour mess and imprecise dumpling cutting. I even made Ben come to the kitchen to watch and observe the craziness. He was impressed.
Continue rolling and cutting your dumplings, placing them on a platter. Add a heavy dusting of flour between each layer so they don’t stick together.
Bring the reserved chicken stock up to a boil and drop the dumplings in one by one, gently stirring so they won’t stick together. Don’t be afraid of getting too much flour into the broth – it’ll just make for that much more of a thick and creamy Chicken & Dumplings.
About 10 minutes later the dumplings should be plump and chewy. PERFECT! Stir in the reserved, shredded chicken, add more salt & pepper if necessary, then dish that ‘ish!
Take THAT, winter!
Homemade Chicken & Dumplings
Serves 4-6
From Back to the Cutting Board & Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1, 4-5lb whole fryer chicken, giblets removed
1 medium-sized onion, chopped into large pieces
3 carrots, chopped into large pieces
3 celery stalks, chopped into large pieces
salt & pepper
For the dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
heavy pinch salt
2 Tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 cup milk, maybe a little less (I used skim)
Directions:
- For the chicken: Place chicken, onion, carrots and celery into a very large soup or stock pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a heavy boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Place a lid on top and cook for an hour, flipping the chicken halfway through. Carefully remove the chicken to a plate.
- Strain the chicken broth through a large strainer lined with cheese cloth. Discard the vegetables and reserve 8 cups broth for the dish. Store the remaining broth in the refrigerator.
- Remove meat off the chicken and shred. Reserve 3 cups for the dish and store the remaining meat in the refrigerator.
- For the dumplings: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers. Add milk about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring between batches, until the dough comes together in a ball.
- Working in batches, place the dough onto a heavily floured work surface. Flour a rolling pin, and roll the dough out thin. Don’t be afraid to keep adding more flour. If you don’t, the dough will stick to the board or counter. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into approximately 2″ x 2″ squares.
- Flour a large plate or platter to place the dumplings on while you roll and cut out the rest of the dough. Generously sprinkle flour between each layer as you place them on the platter so they don’t stick together.
- For the rest of the dish: Bring 8 cups chicken broth to a boil and add dumplings in one at a time while gently stirring to prevent them from sticking together. Don’t worry about too much flour from the dumplings getting into the broth. The more that gets in there, the thicker the sauce will be.
- Cook dumplings for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and more often towards the end so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When dumplings are cooked, turn off the heat and add in 3 cups shredded chicken. Season with more salt & pepper to taste, and serve.
I could NOT be more tickled with how well this dish turned out! The broth was thick and creamy, the dumplings were plump and chewy, and the chicken was tender and juicy.
You could totally make this dish in a snap by using store-bought chicken stock and chicken – but taking the time to slow cook the chicken and make your own stock is SO rewarding. A perfect Sunday afternoon activity!
Now if only it weren’t so messy to take chicken & dumplings to bed with you…
Stay warm, and give this dish a try. You’ll LOVE IT!
PS: The Keurig Platinum Brewer Giveaway is open until 12pm central tomorrow. Dang you guys love the ‘rig!
~~~~~
“The ultimate comfort food to me is _______.”
I think my ultimate comfort food is cinnamon toast! With oodles of melty butter. MMMMM! But there are so many things that make me feel warm and cozy inside…
This is one of my favorites! This might just need to go on my weekend to-do list
Stay warm!
Oh my! How did you know this is my favorite dish of all time!? I can’t wait to try this!
I think chicken and noodles (skinnier (size) version of the dumplings you made) IS my ultimate comfort food. My mother’s mother taught me how many tens of years ago
I literally laughed out loud when I read the beginning of this post. Too funny! Your chicken and dumplings also looks awesome!! I know this is something my own Iowa boy would love. I personally love Pizza… soooo comforting for the Italian in me.
This is the most absolute comfort food. Great job on showing how to make it. I also do the skinny noodle trick the same way. My kids(grown and raised)still beg for it. Especially when under the weather.
WOW! those chicken and dumplings sure look GOOD – I think I might just have to polish off my cooking skills and make that this weekend!! YUMMM
I have never wanted to try a recipe as much as I want to try this one! I can’t wait! Thanks so much!
Sounds like you need a heated blanket…it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought! I turn it on about 5 minutes before I hop under the covers and BAM! warm cozy bed
HA, I can’t imagine it being cold at night yet! It’s been a balmy 60-something here in the DC area lately but I heard a cold front it headed this-a-way :/ I’ve never had chicken and dumplings- is it a southern dish?! It looks so good!
Yummmm! This looks fantastic! I’m glad that cold spell hasn’t gotten to Maryland yet… though it would be a bit easier to get in the holiday spirit if I wasn’t able to wear my flip flops anymore.
My favorite comfort food is macaroni and cheese for sure. The more cheese the better. But I haven’t had chicken and dumplings since I was in elementary school! Mother-daughter bonding activity? Check!
Homemade fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy is my ultimate comfort food meal. Everything about it— the taste, the aroma, and the memory of good times spent together in the kitchen— reminds me of my mom’s Sunday afternoon suppers after returning home from church. Also, Thanksgiving stuffing, or any stuffing for that matter is right up there!
Chicken and dumplings were another of her specialties – one I never thought I’d attempt on my own. Your instructions, however, make it seem like something I could do. Very inspiring…thanks!
Most male chickens are culled during their chick hood as they can’t lay eggs so they are not worth feeding and keeping alive (not my words, I heard a factory farmer say that once). That’s why you can only buy hens to eat. :-/
I love me some meatloaf and mashed taters. That’s MY comfort.
I love a good cheeseburger. Hardees or Culvers to be exact!
Chickens are chickens, sold in the grocery stores. We raised our own chickens for many years. The hens (girls) are usually smaller and have more fat on them while the roosters (boys) have more meat and less fat on them. Just like us women
Once they are naked you can’t really tell the difference between them.
You should look into getting a Capon sometime. It is a rooster that has been castrated to improve the quality of it’s flesh for food. This is typically what we get for Christmas dinner…. so good!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capon
Oh how I wish I had a big bowl of this for dinner!
This looks absolutely delicious! What a great winter meal.
I buy cheese cloth at a fabric store for $0.16 a yard. Cheap!
YUM! we are freezing our behinds off here in CO too. this looks excellent & homey.
this doesnt have much to do with this post, but I feel like you really like DIY stuff and wanted to pass this along to you – homemade anthropologie inspired christmas decor
http://eatandrelish.com/2011/12/07/inspired-crafted-homemade-holiday-mason-jar-snowglobes-with-tiny-sparkly-christmas-trees/
[...] Next I added in chopped celery, carrots and garlic, and swirled it all together with chicken stock. (My homemade chicken stock!) [...]
Hey Kristin – your chicken and dumplings recipes sounds WONDERFUL. I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried freezing this dish after its been cooked? Trying to prepare some dishes for holidays to have in the freezer and wondering about this. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks – love your blog – one of my highlights of the day
I haven’t, although I think it might work. You may just need to add some extra chicken broth when you thaw it!
Of course this looks amazing, but again I am blown away by your writing! Please write a book!!
I am thinking I will put this on my Friday Favorites. I have never attempted dumplings but who knows? I like trying new things! I live in the midwest too and I’m feelin the cold and craving comfort foods as well!
Hahaha my boyfriend falls asleep on the couch ALL the time! He also makes a mean chicken and dumplings…his grandma’s recipe…you can’t beat it!
I have been looking for this kind of chicken & dumplings reciepe for a long time..I cant wait to try it. my cousin says it is delicious.
Do you have a cooking site where we can get more reciepes?
What are the skinny noodles
KAREN
Looks delicious! I love homemade chicken noodle soup, made similarly, so I’m sure I’d love this!
My husband falls asleep on the couch a lot too… Boo!
Yum! I don’t eat chicken, but I’m thinking it would taste just as yummy with turkey. I’m adding it to the “Winter Soup” list!
[...] baby! This dish is right. up. there. with my Mom’s Classic Mac & Cheese, and Homemade Chicken & Dumplings in ultimate comfort food range. I could not believe how delicious it was, even though it was made [...]
This was AMAZING! I’ve made it twice (once dumping teaspoonfuls of dumpling, the other rolling it out and cutting with my pastry wheel). I was lazy and poached the chicken to shred. Both times, major kudos resulted. I think my brother in law actually drooled when I said I was making it again for a family get together. Thanks for the rockin’ food ideas. The Buffulo Egg Rolls were fab as well!
[...] once it was all in the bowl I used a fork to shred it all. Now it is perfect for a quick salad, Iowa Girl Eats- Chicken & Dumplins, “chiladas”, white chili, or even [...]
Where I come from (Kentucky) you must make chicken and dumplings with hen broth ONLY. Hen’s are female, of course, and carry more fat that makes for a richer dumpling broth.
Love chicken and dumplings, making this right now, kids went to the denist and had work done and all they want to eat is dumplings cause it wont hurt their teeth, its the middle of summer here in Texas and making this for dinner lol. But what my babies want my babies get.
[...] Ditalini – household favorite!Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup Cheeseburger QuesadillasChicken & Dumplings – household favorite!Homemade CalzonesKitchen Stash SupperLuann’s Kale Salad – [...]
A year or so ago, I decided I would try my hand at making chicken & “dumplins” and found a recipe just like this one. I had no idea how easy it was to make, even though it’s a bit time consuming making if completely from scratch. If you want the best, make must make your own stock! The only think I do differently is that I use my slow cooker, which is nice since you can put the chicken in the night before and you don’t have to babysit the pot. This is probably my family’s favorite comfort food. It never disappoints… unless I don’t make a double batch.
I cheat on the dumplings. I buy wop biscuits (cause you wop ‘em on the counter to open ‘em up) and tear them into quarters. 4 lb bird would work with 3 cans, anything larger, I go with 4.
I grew up eating this but we call it “Chicken Pot Pie”. To make a super fast version you can use canned broth & a rotisserie chicken. Just simmer the chicken til hot to add flavor to the broth then proceed with your recipe. We also sometimes serve it over mashed potatoes…mmm…ultimate comfort from my sweet Granny!
So. I just subscribed to your site today and I mentioned the whole, “OMG, I can’t believe I found you. You visited a restaurant down the street from my house – thing” and now this… I did a google search for “chicken and dumplings” and I saw a link back to your site again, and I was like “Huh?” and to boot, you make it THE RIGHT WAY! (I’m sure I’d get a lot of slack for saying that…), KARMA!! but this is exactly the way my grandma used to make hers, only in North Carolina, they call it “chicken and pastry”. I’m soo gonna love your blog. Thanks again, Angie