Chicken and Dumplings, Where Have You Been All My Life?

Sunday, November 22, 2009
I have a new cookbook. It's a Weight Watchers publication, and it's called Comfort Classics: 150 Favorite Home-Style Dishes. After perusing the contents together, the Smart Man asked me to try and make a recipe called "Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings." Evidently his Hot Mom used to make it periodically for him and my Smart BIL, so it really is comfort food for him.

Believe it not, I have never had Chicken and Dumplings. My own Hot Mom never made it, and in spite of being exposed to southern cooking on a pretty regular basis for the years I was in the Navy*, it simply never came up. So I girded my loins, and prepared the recipe (with extra coarse ground pepper).

ZOMG, YOU GUYS. CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS ARE SO GOOD. AND THE WEIGHT WATCHERS RECIPE ONLY HAS 5 POINTS FOR A BIG BOWL.

Ahem. Sorry about that. I'm still swooning with joy over the quasi-religious experience that is guilt free chicken and dumplings.

And if this cookbook was a boy, I would be totally marrying it and having its babies. For tonight's dinner, we're having "Home-Style Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy," and tomorrow it'll be "Spicy Shrimp and Rice." Who knew that healthy, low-fat, low-cal eating could be so yummy?


*The American south has a strong tradition of military service. Because of this, military culture is strongly influenced by southern culture, and so aspects of the south have crept into military life. Many military people I know use the phrase "fixing to" and "y'all," and Yanks like myself are also exposed to southern cooking. For which I am grateful.

8 comments:

WendyB_09 said...

Was this with noodle-style or biscuit dumplings?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I make chicken & dumplings on a regular basis, would be interested in comparing the WW recipe to the old standard I use out of the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook I've had for about 25 years.

Janiece said...

Biscuit style, I assume - they're made from water, flour, salt, pepper and baking powder, then dropped into the stew by the teaspoonful.

I'll get you copy of the recipe, if you want.

WendyB_09 said...

Yep, that would be the biscuit dumpling method. I usually use Bisquick as I always have some on hand. The other method is to make a handmade flat pasta style dumpling, they're lovely, but a little fussy for my cooking style.

And yes, please, I'd like the recipe when you have a spare second, thank you.

Janiece said...

It's on it's way!

Anne C. said...

I've had chicken stew with dumplings, but I'm not sure it's the same. They were Bisquick dumplings, as Wendy says.

WendyB_09 said...

Got it!
The recipe I usually use is for simmered chicken that gets shredded at the end of the simmering time, added back to the stock and then the biscuits added for the dumplings.

Pretty yummy and definately one of my personal comfort foods. Many times I get done making chicken soup and decide I want chicken & dumplings instead, so pour off some of the stock and go to town with it. Only adds 20 minutes to the cooking time!

The Mechanicky Gal said...

Mechanicky Mom makes the flat-style noodle-y dumplings and we call it Chicken Pot Pie. I am thinking that she got if from he Grammy, so it's been around for a while. but it's basically chicken that has had all the fat boiled out of it, so how bad can it be????

Jim Wright said...

Chicken and dumplings are a regular meal around here. Best thing in the world for a winter weekend crockpot meal.

We like both kinds.

I like the homemade noodle kind, my wife likes the biscuit kind, so I alternate when I make them.

And added advantage of the noodle kind, is that I make a lot noodles and freeze them in meal sized packages - then I've got stuff for homemade chicken noodle soup or beef stroganoff.

Speaking of which...hmmmm...excuse me