Southern Cuisine: Holle's Easy Chicken and Dumplings
By habee
real Southern food
I love Southern food, and I use old southern recipes all the time. In fact, I just put a huge pot of chicken on the stove to boil. I’m making one of our favorites – chicken and dumplings! For those of you who are from parts north of here, let me explain what a dumpling is to cooks and eaters in the Deep South. A dumpling is a thin strip of dough that’s dropped into boiling chicken broth. After they’ve cooked for a while, they expand and become soft.
The Southern-type dumplings are much different than their counterparts – you know, the spoonfuls of raw batter or dough that are dropped into boiling broth. My relatives in North Carolina call our version of chicken and dumplings "chicken and pastry." And they keep trying to convince me that NC is a Southern state??
You can make your own dumplings, but I usually use the frozen ones. To me, they’re just as good and save a lot of work and a lot of mess. They’re also inexpensive. The best brands I’ve found are Mrs. Traylor’s and Open Kettle.
Holle’s Easy Chicken and Dumplings
To make chicken and dumplings, first you have to boil your chicken. You can use a hen, a fryer, chicken parts, or boneless skinless breasts. Today, I’m using the latter. Since these have little fat, I’ll add a little butter and some granulated chicken bouillon to bump up the flavor.
Season the pot with salt or garlic salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until it’s done. Remove the poultry from the pot and cut or tear it into small boneless, skinless pieces.
Return the chicken to the pot and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Drop in the frozen dumpling strips, one at a time. Stir frequently to keep the dumplings from sticking together. If the dumplings are too crowded, add more water or canned chicken broth.
After all the dumplings have been added, put the lid on the pot and reduce heat. Allow the chicken and dumplings to simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If you used too much water, your broth will be thin and watery. If this happens, add a can of cream of chicken soup to the pot and blend well.
Allow your chicken and dumplings to stand a few minutes off the stove before serving.
Gotta go check on my chicken now!
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Comments
I love you, too! Want some chicken and dumplings? I just finished a big bowl. Yum!
I am going to take this book away from you hahaha Thanks for another great recipe.
Although it's not even 8 in the morning, I swear I could go for some chicken and dumplings.
Did you ever think of opening a restaurant? It would be a hit. I get hungry everytime I read one of your hubs!
Every New York kid knows what a Dumpling is, Habee. You ate them in Chinese Resturants, in Kosher Chicken Soup, in any Italian, Polish, German, or mid-Europen restaurant. True they're all a bit different and contain different fillings, but they all fit under the umbrella DUMPLING. I think my favorites on our world travels were enjoyed in Poland, Czeckoslavakia, Japan and Russia. Yours are single strips and look delicious, Maybe someday I can get a taste and see what I've been missing. David
Take my book away? How big a woman are you, HH??? LOL!!!
Howdy Bpop! I just finished a bowl of leftover chicken and dumplings for dinner!
Europe, I have fantacised many times about opening a restaurant!
Good, David. You'd be surprised at how many of my students from out of state didn't know what a dumpling was!
delicious... amazing...
I have always been a huge fan of chicken and dumplings but I thought they were hard to make.
Ben, buy the frozen dumpling strips, and it's a breeze! Enjoy!
Vasutkin, thanks for reading!
Habee, Sounds tasty! I just luv it how you share such great quality recipes! I enjoy sharing good food... You make it tasty, terrific and simple! Thank you as always for sharing, Blessings!
Thank you, Deb! I love to cook for my family and friends.
Thanks for a great lens on one of my favorite dishes as well as the tip on the frozen strips.
Mitch, the frozen dumplings make the dish so easy to prepare! Thanks for stopping by!
im from NC and we call it chicken and dumplings not everyone calls it chicken and pastry....and yes we are a southern state...
I want to make this with the boneless skinless chicken breast... about how many should I use.. never made chicken and pastry but gonna give it a shot thanks.
lorlie6 2 years ago
I love you.