Oh my, this recipe is just so good! And since there are NO chicken deals to be had at Publix (unless I guess you want to boil some boneless skinless Chicken Thighs on sale $2.99/lb.), I’m hoping you’ve got some chicken stockpiled in your freezer! The rest of the ingredients are pretty inexpensive anyways, and I’m betting you have most of them already. It’s from my friend Anne’s great-grandmother. She was a true Southerner (and used good ole’ Crisco), so you know this recipe is as good as Chicken and Dumplings gets. I was really afraid to try this (all the chicken and dumpling recipes I’ve ever seen used canned biscuits or Bisquick), but I figured what did I have to lose? It’s a great inexpensive, YUMMY dinner, and I know your family will be thrilled to have a little home cooking!
Now, I must warn you, this is probably the most labor intensive recipe I’ve ever shared. But, it is SOOOOOOO worth it (and you’ll be so proud when you call your friends and tell them you’ve made dumplings from scratch!) Here’s what you’ll need:
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
(Anne uses self rising to help the dumplings poof up some, but I only had all purpose – do whichever sounds best to you!)
(Anne uses self rising to help the dumplings poof up some, but I only had all purpose – do whichever sounds best to you!)
$.75/1 Gold Medal Flour HERE
(Gold Medal Flour is on sale at Kroger $1.77 right now!)
(Gold Medal Flour is on sale at Kroger $1.77 right now!)
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 tsp. salt
$.30/1 Diamond Crystal Salt HERE
pepper to taste
2 boneless skinless chicken breast pieces
No great sale at Publix, but Kroger has whole chicken on sale for $.99/lb, and both Winn Dixie and Piggly Wiggly have BOGO chicken breasts this week!
3 14 oz. cans chicken broth (I had Progresso cartons, so that’s what I used)
College Inn Broth Advantage Buy $.80 until 3/5/10, or $1/2 Progresso Products HERE
3 tbsp. butter (I used margarine because it was all I had!)
Boil chicken in large saucepan in just enough water to cover for 1 hour. Remove chicken, but keep this broth in pan. Just before chicken is done, make dough: “Cut” Crisco into flour and salt mixture with pastry cutter or whisk until it is fairly uniform (note my Caroline’s pretty purple finger nail polish). Stir in a tiny bit of water at a time until dough is “soft” and dense, but not sticky (it took me about 15 Tablespoons of water!) Roll out to 1/4″ thick.
Add broth to fill saucepan halfway after removing chicken. Also add 3 tbsp butter. Bring to a boil. Cut dough into strips, then tear off into med. pieces and place carefully in boiling broth. Cover and cook on med. heat @15 min., stirring as little as possible because dumplings will break apart. Add salt and pepper to taste. Shred cooked chicken and stir in, then serve warm. Serves 6.
The only thing I added at the end was I mixed 2 tablespoons cup corn starch with 2 tablespoons water and then added it to the pot because I wanted the sauce a little thickened (I like thick sauce!) I’m not sure that it needed it, and if you used the self rising flour instead of all purpose I’m betting the chicken stock would thicken a little more on it’s own. Just do what you think is best! See photos at bottom for “detailed” pictures of our dumpling making (and if you’ve made homemade dumplings for years, please don’t laugh at our attempt!)
Serve with . . .
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Or Sister Schubert Rolls
Use $1/1 HERE
Stockpiled Steamers 
or
or le=”border-bottom:medium none;border-left:medium none;border-right:medium none;border-top:medium none;”>Birdseye Steamfresh Vegetables On Sale 50% off
$.35/1 or $1/3 from 2/28 SS; $1/2 or $.50/1 from 2/7 SS; or $1/4 HERE
Stack with $.55/1 Publix Coupon from Healthy Meals Happy Kids Booklet
Should be close to FREE with both coupons!
May want to wait on the Yellow Advantage Flier (starting 3/6) because it looks like there will be a $1/2 Birdseye Steamfresh Vegetables and Rice in it, so if you don’t have the Healthy Meals Happy Kids Booklet, you’re in luck: wait until 3/6 to buy these!
Thank you Anne for this great recipe! Thanks also to I Heart Publix, Two Thrifty Sisters, and Hot Coupon World for the coupon matchups.
This post is linked to Balancing Bedlam and Beauty’s Tasty Tuesdays.
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