My mama has been making homemade chicken and dumplings for as long as I can remember and I have LOVED them for as long as I can remember. Talk about comfort food. These are it!
I have tried on several occasions to make her dumplings and did pretty well at them and now I’m going to enter a cooking contest with BlogHer making these wonderful Southern dumplings, so we did a cooking class, my mama and me. If I get to the finals, I’ll get a free trip to the BlogHer conference in San Diego in August.
Oh, how I’d love to make the finals!
Knorr Foods has come out with a concentrated chicken stock. You mix 3 1/2 cups water with one of these packets and you have chicken stock. We used 2 in our chicken and dumplings to makes 7 cups of stock. This new Knorr concentrate chicken stock is SO flavorful. My dad even mentioned that he thought the chicken and dumplings were even better than usual using Knorr! Now that’s a high compliment!
One chicken breast shredded up.
Seven cups of water put on to boil.
After the 2 Knorr concentrate packets went in, it magically turned to chicken stock.
We began with 1 1/2 cups plain flour (with salt, recipe below). Add water a little at a time to form a dough ball.
It will be a little sticky, but keep adding enough water to hold it together, but not too much water or it will be a sticky mess that you can’t roll out. Careful with adding the water, a bit at a time. The dough ball will be rather lumpy looking.
Flour the countertop, ready to roll out the dumplings.
Throw the dough ball on there and start rolling with the rolling pin. That’s the key to making these, rolling out the dough nice and flat.
She makes sure the dough has enough flour on it to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.
Then start rolling and rolling, making the dough round.
Side to side, back and forth until you have something sort of like a pizza shape.
More rolling and adding flour as needed to keep it from sticking. She feels the edges to be sure it’s getting thin enough.
And it looks like this when done.
Start at one side and begin making slices across with a bread knife, about 3/4″ or so. Not too wide.
Keep slicing all the way across to the other side.
Like this.
Then go back and slice diagonally the other direction, criss-crossing until you have it all sliced up.
And you’ll have cute little dough dumplings like this.
Pull them apart and drop in the simmering stock, start bringing the stock to a boil as you add the dumplings, one at a time.
Stir to keep them from sticking.
She even takes the leftover flour from the countertop and adds to the stock pot, to help thicken the stock.
Don’t worry, the dough balls will cook down with the dumplings. This is what they look like as they go in and start cooking. Add the cooked chicken at this point and simmer about 30 minutes. Then you will have a big bowl of deliciousness that looks like this…
The best tasting homemade chicken and dumplings you have ever put in your mouth. I doubt you’ve ever tasted any like this unless you have a Southern mama or grandmother.
Try them and see how you like them! You will be hooked too. It might take a few tries to get them just right, but I promise they are not hard to make.
Iris’s Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cooked chicken breast (bone in) chopped & shredded
Water (approx. 1/4 cup) Add water a couple of tablespoons at a time until consistency forms a dough ball. Add a bit more water as needed. When dough ball is pliable without being too sticky, time to roll out.
Cook chicken breast in boiling/simmering water until done. Pull from the bone and chop/shred. Set aside
Add 2 Knorr’s chicken concentrate stock to 7 cups of boiling water. Simmer until time for the dumplings.
Flour a flat surface. Press dough ball on surface and begin rolling out with rolling pin. Go from side to side, back and forth until a round circle is formed, pressing down all around to make the edges even and flat. Roll as flat as you can.
Begin cutting strips on one side of the circle (approx. 3/4″ wide) all the way across the dough circle. Then, cut strips the opposite direction until you have cut through the complete circle and have little rectangles of dough strips ready to cook.
As chicken stock is simmering, bring to a boil and begin dropping in the dough strips, one at a time until they are all in the pot. Stir them around with a spoon making sure they are not sticking together. Add a bit of the flour that is on your surface, this will thicken up the broth. Bring to a slow boil, then turn down to simmer for around 10-15 minutes. Then add the cooked chicken, simmer another 10 minutes until stock has begun to thicken.
Serve hot and eat! Enjoy!
I’m entering this recipe in a BlogHer contest sponsored by Knorr. If I happen to be chosen as one of the 8 finalists, I will win an all-expenses paid trip to BlogHer ’11 in San Diego, CA. Do you think I would be excited about that??
Oh yeah, I sure would! I’d be dying with excitement. But, the only catch is, I’d have to recreate these ON MY OWN. I mentioned this to my dad and he said:
“You better take your mama with you.” 😉
Do you think he has no confidence in my cooking abilities? I’d say he’s probably right, but if I do get in the finals, I’ll be cooking my little heart out with these chicken and dumplings.
I’m drooling. My mom’s dumplings are made just like that. I also make mine that way, but haven’t made any in a few years. I’m wishing I was there to have some of yours. Dumplings are a favorite of mine.
I can’t wait to try your recipe. I was as impressed with the recipe as I was the beauty of your Mother’s hands. They are precious and show her love of others by preparing many dishes like this one. Give her a big hug from all of us whose hearts were softened by the pictures of her sweet hands.
Like others here, your mother’s hands reminded me so much of my grandmother’s hands it made me cry. Thanks for sharing!
didn’t know Knor made stock. I make mine the same way but I use a pizza cutter to cut the dumplins. Loved your Mama’s hands. Guess you need to make those dumplins a couple of time with a little help! Good luck.
Gosh Rho, “our” mamma sure is one good cook. Yum! Just pass me the black pepper and get out of my way. I’m diggin in!
I sure hope you win the contest. Practice, practice, practice. Course you’ll probably be sick of chicken and dumplings and have porked on a few pounds by then, but I would practice the recipe till you are totally confident. The problem I have when making dumplings is that I never seem to roll them out thin enough. I always think they are, but they’re not. And then they’re in the pot and it’s too late….pudgy dumplings.
Good Luck Rhoda! I’m sure you will have a lot of fun in the contest. Oh, and as always, hugs to “Mom and Dad.”
My heart turned over when I saw your Mama’s hands. Brought back the memory of all the times I saw my Mamo working the dough, making dumplings. Wonderful childhood memories. Mine never turned out very good so hopefully these detailed pics will help. Am sending this link to my daughter as she will love it! Thanks so much, Rhoda, and good luck.
Can’t wait to try this recipe…looks delicious. Secret to share when you’re making those dumplings…put down that butter knife and pick up a pizza cutter. Throw some flour on it to keep from sticking and you’ll have those dumplings cut up in no time.
Rhoda, as I read your blog such sweet memories of my mother came back and my grandmother, too! both made delicious chicken and dumplins’ just like your mom, and your mother’s hands looked just like my mothers. I loved watching them work in every stage of making the duplings. Thank you for a heart warming post. Egretta
By the way, there is nothing better than Southern Cooking!!
Looks absolutely like the perfect comfort food! Fingers crossed for you, I hope you win.
Up here in PA we make a very similar dish called chicken pot pie. It’s not a pie though, it’s more like dumplings. I use my grandmother’s recipe but don’t make it often. Rolling out the dough is messy…..flour everywhere! Your sweet mama has mastered the art of dough rolling!
Yep, I’m with Dad. You better take Mama with you! LOL!
I thought I might be the only one to comment on your mama’s beautiful hands, but they have touched a lot of hearts. The pictures literally made me tear up missing my Granny from Tennessee who taught me how to make chicken and dumplings. Good luck with the contest… we’re all rooting for you!
Funny how that has been the first thing every member of our family has said! I second the Nana-Rhoda cookbook idea. We need to start preserving some of her “recipes.”
I loved to see the photo’s of your Mama’s beautiful working hands – they remind me of my sweet Mama’s. I can’t wait to try your Mama’s recipe and agree there is nothing better than comfort foods such as Chicken ‘n Dumplings!
I wish you tons of Luck with the contest!
Yum! My Momma made something similar when I was growing up. But we called it Chicken & Pastry and she used boxed, flat noodles.
Good luck with the contest!
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
I’m sure this recipe is divine, but I must tell you I was most inspired by the photos of your Mom’s hands, doing what she’s been doing for many a year. I immediately tripped back in time and could see both of my Grammas’ hands, busy cooking from scratch! Love it! Thanks!
That looks so delicious. Reminds me of my childhood. Best of luck with the contest!
Hi Rhoda….Your Dad cracked me up saying “You better take your mama with you. ” That is probably what my Dad would have said too. 🙂
Good luck and hope you win! The recipe sounds delicious!
Bonnie
I love your Momma’s hands! They remind me of my own mother’s and I miss them … and her. Just lovely.
Rhoda, that is just how my Granny used to make dumplings (well, minus the ready-made ckicken stock, LOL)! I remember as a child, helping her roll out the dough and cut them into little rectangles…everyone I know just throws in little balls of dough. I have never been able to make dumplings like Granny’s, but maybe I can with your Momma’s recipe! I’ll be trying it soon!
YUMMY!!! I make my chicken noodle soup a lot like that. I add cream cheese to the broth and oh my, creamy deliciousness! For anyone interested the post is:
http://creativejuicesdecor.blogspot.com/2011/03/to-die-for-chicken-noodle-soup.html