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
Surprise!
The Chicken:
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.
Next, chop up 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 on a plate for now.
Turn your attention back to the pot which now contains cups and cups of ultra-flavorful, homemade chicken stock.
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.
The Dumplings:
Ok – 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 approximately 2″ x 2″ squares – it doesn’t have to be perfect. I showed my inner Type A the doorwith 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 it on up!
Take THAT, winter!
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!
I made this one too! It was awesome. I saw it on the tastykitchen.com blog and made it that night. I didnt take picture so I will have to make it again (oh shoot…) so that I can blog it. Im southern and i know my chicken ‘n dumps… and this is it!
Either my mom’s perogies (I even tried them in Poland and they weren’t the same), my dad’s tator tot casserole (sounds gross, but it’s gooood) or tacos!
That looks like a great recipe, but it may be too much work for me. My comfort food in winter is chili with a nice big chunk of cornbread.
Wow this looks awesome! I’m really going to have to try this one out!
Home made macaroni & cheese…or I should say cheese & macaroni!!
Called my mom for your chicken question! :) You really have no way to tell what you are eating from the chickens you buy in the store. They are usually butchered around 6-8 weeks – too young to know the difference. You can, however, eat both! So glad you asked that question. I grew up on a farm – but never really knew the answer either!
My ultimate comfort food is beef and noodles and homemade mashed potatoes!
This looks delish. Here’s a way to calm your static hair: http://simplystated.realsimple.com/2011/12/06/static-hair/
My ultimate comfort food is cabbage and dumplings.
Oh, as I was reading your post, it sure made me hungry. LOL. Thanks for the recipe. With the cold weather coming, this looks so good and I am sure it is warming.
I made creamy tomato soup tonight and I used some of my homemade chicken stock! It is too easy to make not to have a stockpile in the freezer:)
this is ridiculously impressive! i have never boiled a whole chicken, but it looks pretty easy. and talk about comfort food… this is the epitome.
the ultimate comfort food to me is chicago style deep dish pizza. something about it makes me feel so good! (and then yucky and bloated shortly after i stuff my face…)
This looks so delicious and makes me want to try it even though I have a fear of raw chicken. Also reminds me that I need to make soo jae bee, which is a Korean soup with hand torn noodles. If you want to test your ability to quiet your type A, try it. :)
Your chicken and dumpling recipe is great. BUT … my grandma taught me the Bisquick dumpling trick. It is a different kind of dumpling – fat and juicy – and so easy. The recipe is right on the box, and couldn’t be simpler.
That looks so comforting!!!! I will try to make this soon:)
this looks incredible, you are inspiring me and i WILL make this on sunday. icant wait!!!!
mashed taters and gravy. your supper looks wonderful!
Good ole maracaroni and cheese..made from scratch and baked in the oven..gluten-free of course :)
Spaghetti. It doesn’t even have to be homemade (Ssh don’t tell anyone!) I could eat it every day.
I’m pretty sure I remember reading in a Cooks Illustrated magazine that chickens from the supermarket are both male and female though no way to tell which is which.
Chili and cornbread is my comfort food of choice. Followed by chicken pot pie. :)
My dad makes homemade pot pie every year. It’s kind of a big deal when he does but he makes enough leftovers to freeze for the entire year. This recipe is so reminiscent of my childhood.