Shawn's Cracker Barrel Style Chicken and Dumplings

Shawn C's Note:

This is my version of the creamy style chicken and dumplings that are so good at that great southern cooking restaurant Cracker Barrell this is old fashioned and sure to stick to your ribs. Warms your heart any time of year.optional: instead of making the dumplings yourself you can use a box of Anne's flat dumplings from the freezer section of the grocery store

• Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

dumplins

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 8 cups water
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes

chicken

• 1 whole chicken, cut up
• 1 garlic clove, left whole
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 4 pieces
• salt
• pepper
• 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 bouillon cubes

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup dumpling water (about a ladel full) or 1/2 cup chicken water (about a ladel full)
• 1 teaspoon chicken base

Directions:

1. boil chicken at a low boil in very large dutch oven with celery, onion, and garlic. season with salt and pepper, add chicken bouillon.
2. let chicken low boil for about 1 hour.
3. remove all chicken, celery, onion, and garlic from pot- let cool until you can work with the chicken. debone chicken and shred a little with hands. discard celery, onion and garlic.
4. in bowl mix dumpling ingredients well and turn onto a floured surface. knead 5-6 times and divide into 2 parts.
5. roll out one section into 1/8" thickness and cut into 1" squaresrepeat with other section.
6. in large pot boil water with 3 bouillon cubes.
7. cook about half of the dumplins unitl just about cooked through remove, strain and set aside. repeat until all are done.
8. in sauce pot melt butter add salt and flour and whisk together. once incorporated increase heat to medium high.
9. add milk and whisk until smooth, whisk in chicken base unitl disolved into mixture reduce heat to a low simmer.
10. add the 1/2 cup of cooking water (either the dumpling liquid or the chicken water) simmer whisking to make sure there are no lumps. remove from heat.
11. bring chicken water to a boil, return chicken to the pot and add dumplings.
12. scoop out one ladel of sauce and add to chicken pot stirring constantly. continue to add ladel at a time until the desired thickness you like is achieved.
13. taste for seasoning. serve in deep bowls!

Reviews

[Chef #1378904]

The chicken succulent, the dumplings light as a feather. The addition of an egg to the dumpling, slightly more thickened gravy, and the addition of carrots and peas, make this a fulfilling dutch oven meal. Just use a lot of coals and leave it alone, the last 35 minutes in a hotbox. ---MT