Better Than Cracker Barrel Chicken N Dumplings Recipes

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS WITH BISQUICK®

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken thighs in the hot butter until no longer pink in the centers, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Remove chicken and let cool, about 5 minutes. Shred or cut into small pieces and set aside.
• Place bacon in a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon grease in the skillet. Let bacon cool slightly, about 5 minutes; crumble and set aside.
• Scrape chicken drippings from the the skillet into a stockpot or Dutch oven. Cook potatoes, carrots, celery, red onion, and garlic in the pot over medium heat until onion is soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken, reserved bacon grease, broth, 1 cup milk, mushroom soup, corn, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and let stew simmer for 20 minutes.
• Mix baking mix and milk for dumplings together to form a sticky dough. Drop by spoonfuls into stew. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cover and continue to cook until dumplings are set, about 10 minutes more. Serve stew with a garnish of crumbled bacon.

CHICKEN 'N' DUMPLINGS -- CRACKER BARREL STYLE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
• Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and parsley to the pot.
• Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours.
• The liquid will reduce by about one third.
• When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside.
• Strain the stock to remove all the vegetables and floating scum.
• You want only the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out.
• Pour 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) of the stock back into the pot (keep the leftover stock, if any, for another recipe - it can be frozen).
• Add coarsely ground pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tablespoon of lemon juice, then reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the Dumplings.
• For the Dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and milk in a medium bowl.
• Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5 to 20 minutes.
• Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2-inch thickness.
• Cut the dough into 1/2-inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock.
• Use all of the dough.
• The Dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy.
• Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until thick. Stir often.
• While the stock is thickening, the chicken will have become cool enough to handle.
• Tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin.
• Cut the chicken neatly into bite-size pieces and drop them into the pot.
• Discard the skin and bones.
• Continue to simmer the chicken and dumplings for another 5 to 10 minutes, but don't stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred and fall apart.
• You want big chunks of chicken in the end.
• When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plates and serve hot.
• Serve with your choice of steamed vegetables, if desired.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS LIKE CRACKER BARREL'S

Steps:

• Place chicken in a Dutch oven. Add water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender (should almost fall off bone).
• Remove the chicken from the broth and cool. Bone the chicken and cut meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Bring the broth to a boil and add pepper.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork until moistened.
• Knead the dough 4 to 5 times (never done), and pat to 1/2-inch pieces and drop into boiling broth (I do not pat it out, just pinch off pieces). Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the chicken and serve. I make it in the pressure cooker, much quicker and easier.
• I pressure it for only 30 minutes.
• It can also be done in the crockpot with 3-4 cups water but someone has that book so at this time I cannot give cooking times.
• Good Luck! Hope you enjoy.