Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings are a favorite comfort food of the South. With the cold weather we have had, this is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. Add a simple fruit salad of apples, bananas, roasted pecans and mayonnaise and you have a meal that is sure to warm you all the way to your toes.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 chicken
Lots of water
Veggies and spices
Biscuit dough
Salt and pepper

The ingredients are simple - chicken, chicken stock and biscuits. Start by boiling the chicken in a pot of water filled with veggies and seasonings you have on hand. The veggies give the stock a lot of favor. This time I used celery, carrots, onion, parsley, sage, salt and pepper. Boil the chicken until tender. Once the chicken is done, remove the skin and bones. Chop or shred into bite-size pieces.

Now for the stock. Strain and refrigerate. Once cold, you can easily remove the fat that accumulates on the top. I like to cook my chicken the night before so it will be ready for supper the next night.

The dumplings are biscuits that are cut into small pieces and cooked with the chicken and stock until done. I like to use Martha White's biscuit mix but you can make your biscuits from scratch or use frozen biscuit dough or canned biscuits. Roll the dough out on a floured board and cut into small pieces. A pizza cutter works great for cutting the biscuit dough.
Bring the chicken and the stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the dumplings a few at a time to the stock. The flour on the dumplings will help to thicken the stock. The dumplings will float to the top. Continue to boil slowly.
When the dumplings sink, they are done! Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is not a colorful dish, but the taste is simple and perfect for a cold winter night!