Chicken & Dumplings

Hi Everyone!

With the cold weather approaching, I will be posting some great comfort food recipes.  This Chicken & Dumplings recipe is the first of many to come.  I do my Chicken & Dumplings a bit different than most, mainly because I have a husband that likes large chunks, and hates small bits.  As a result of that, I don't chop up my chicken, I cook a large roasting chicken.  So, let me tell you how I do it.

You will need the following:

* Oven Stuffer Roast or Chicken Parts
* Flour
* Olive Oil
* Milk

Wash your chicken thoroughly.  I like to season my chicken with Morton's Nature's Seasoning, McCormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning, Garlic Powder and pepper.

Now, rub the chicken with olive oil to keep the skin moist.

Fill the roasting pan with about 2 cups of water for your drippings.  You'll need this for the dumplings. 

Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. or until golden brown.  Don't forget to baste your chicken 1 to 2 times per hour. You can never baste too much.  Your chicken will be sooooo moist.

Dumplings:

Using a baster, remove the drippings from the pan.  Put 1/2 of the drippings into a mixing bowl with 1-2 cups of flour and about 1/2 cup of milk.  Knead the dough until it is not sticky and gooey.  Add a bit more flour if you need to do so.  Put the other 1/2 into a pot with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.

Now, take a piece of the dough.  Roll it out with a rolling pin until thin and flat.  These dumplings are like noodles.

Slice the dough into strips and then squares.

One by one, place the dumplings into the boiling water and drippings.  Stir the dumplings to keep them from sticking to another.  You'll know that the dumplings are done when they rise to the top .  Lower your heat and allow to simmer.

If you notice that the drippings are too thin, add about 1/4 cup of flour and water, and stir into the gravy to thicken. Once thickened to the consistency that you like, pour the dumplings back into the roasting pan with the chicken.

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!