foodie fridays: chicken and dumplings

Embark on a culinary journey with our comforting Chicken and Dumplings. Indulge in a hearty dish that combines succulent chicken and fluffy dumplings, creating a soul-warming experience for any occasion.

Comfort food.

Comfort food is personal. Some people prefer a large casserole dish of macaroni and cheese.  Some people prefer a big bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. And some people prefer a large, juicy cheeseburger with salty french fries on the side.

Many of our comfort food likings come from childhood memories. My favorite comfort foods revolve around my mother’s recipes for foods cooked in big pots. She made beef chili, chicken noodle soup, and chicken and dumplings when my brothers and I were growing up.

We have a family tradition for fixing chicken and dumplings. Back in the olden days, having chicken for dinner was considered a treat reserved for special occasions. People didn’t eat it almost every night like we do today. For instance, if a priest or preacher would come to dinner on a Sunday night you can bet your sweet tookus you would be eating chicken. As a kid, I heard the story about how my great-grandmother would send my grandfather out to the back yard to catch and kill a chicken. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say, that’s what I consider eating local.

Anyway, after my great-grandmother parboiled the chicken, my grandfather would have to help pluck the feathers. He said this was the worse than the actual killing of the chicken because of the smell. Yikes! Once he got through the plucking process, it was pretty easy going from there. All she had to do was cut up the chicken, throw it in a huge pot, add some veggies, make the dumplings, and viola! Chicken and dumplings.

Okay, I’ll be honest, I’m not killing a chicken today and cutting it up. Gross-town. For my modern version of the classic dish, I’m sticking with the prepackaged separated chicken thighs because they have tons of flavor and the dumplings lay nicely on top. My mother used cream of chicken soup as the base for the dish, but I thought I would lighten things up by adding chicken stock. I also felt carrots and peas needed to make an appearance because in a way, this dish resembles a chicken pot pie.

Once you have the base and veggies going, the dumplings are easy peasy. Next, mix flour, baking powder, milk, salt, and herbs de provence mix together. The dumpling batter should be thick like a pancake batter. Plop a good spoonful on top of each piece of chicken, cover with the lid, and in about ten minutes you’ll have yourself a one pot wonder.

It’s comfort food that is part convenience and part scratch. Now will someone pass me a fork, please?

Conclude your culinary adventure with our Chicken and Dumplings—a timeless classic that envelopes you in warmth and flavor. From the first bite to the last, savor the comforting embrace of this satisfying dish.