Good old Chicken & Dumplin's....

Well Sir...several folks I be a knowin have asked this here Cookie fer his famous old fashioned recipe fer Chicken & Dumplin's...and my Chicken Soup...so here they be....

Now mam...just a note afore y'all start. Expect to spend, at the very least, a half day in the kitchen makin this here family recipe. The upside is that you'll get several meals outta just the one chicken, along with a goodly amount of home-made Chicken Stock (that ya can freeze fer later recipe's), and a nice tasty Chicken Soup (again...freezes real well), and of course...the best Chicken & Dumplins y'all are ever gonna taste...

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumpling’s / and Chicken Soup

1 Large whole Chicken
3-4 large Celery stalks, with leaves, cut into 2” pieces.
6 medium Carrots, peeled and cut into thirds.
1 medium whole onion, peeled.
2-3 Tablespoons of “Better Than Bullion”™ Chicken Base ( or 8 Chicken
bullion cubes)
2 Quarts of Chicken Stock, OR 6-7 cans of Chicken Broth.
Enough Water to finish covering the Whole Chicken.


Place ALL the above ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil. Lower heat to just below boiling and cook until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked.

When fully cooked, remove chicken and strain broth into another large pot. Set cooked chicken and veggies aside to cool until cool to touch. Cut up the vegetables (and onion if you want it) into serving size pieces and set aside.

Dumpling’s.

2 cups Bisquick.
2/3 to 1 cup of milk.


While chicken is cooling, mix 2 cups of Bisquick and 2/3 to 1 cup of milk together for Dumpling batter. Set aside. This lets the batter "rize" a bit and makes for fluffier dumplings.


When chicken is cool, remove ALL skin and discard. De-bone the chicken and cut meat into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

At this point, you will have a large quantity of Chicken Stock. Separate out 3-4 cups of the stock that you will use to make gravy later, AND, 3 to 4 cups for use in making the dumplings. Set aside.

At this point: You can either put the remaining Chicken Stock into containers and freeze for use in recipe's at a later time...OR..continue on and make a great Chicken Soup (which also freezes very well).

Put about 3 cups of chicken pieces and 1-2 cups of cut up veggie pieces (or all the chicken and veggies if you've saved the remaining stock for freezing) in the bottom of large pot. Pour in just enough stock to NOT COVER the chicken and veggies pieces. Bring to a boil.

Using a large spoon, drop spoonfuls of batter on top of the boiling stock and pieces, usually makes about ten dumplings. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, and then cook covered for another 10 minutes (don’t lift cover to peek…you’ll ruin the dumplings).

Gravy

3-4 cups of chicken stock you've set aside.
1 ½ cups of flour
cold water.
1 ½ tablespoons of “Better than Bullion”™ Chicken Base, OR 3 chicken bullion cubes.

While dumplings are cooking, make gravy in a separate pot. Using the 3-4 cups of chicken stock set aside earlier, add the Better than Bullion (or chicken bullion cubes) and bring to a boil. Mix flour and cold water together (shake well) and slowly add to boiling stock until mixture thickens to desired consistency.

When dumplings are completely cooked, spoon out chicken and dumplings into a bowl or plate and ladle gravy over it. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chopped green onions. Serve hot.

Chicken Soup

8 oz ( 1/2 box) of Acini De Pepe pasta
The remaining Chicken Stock.
The remaining chicken and vegetable pieces.

Bring remaining chicken stock to a boil, and add the Acini De Pepe. Cook Acini De Pepe for 10 to 12 minutes. Add all the remaining chicken and vegetable pieces. Simmer for ½ hour. Serve hot with optional grated Parmesan Cheese.

This soup freezes very well in your freezer and comes in real handy on days when you don’t feel like cooking anything.

I know this is a time consuming meal(s) to make but it will pay off later on when you use the frozen chicken soup or chicken stock.

Good eatin......Cookie....