Bacon Chicken & Dumplings

Things have been a little hectic since I started classes again, and I haven't really been experimenting the way I was able to over the summer.  I do plan on trying some new things for Thanksgiving, and last night I tried a variation on an old favorite.

I get daily recipe emails from www.allrecipes.com.  Sometimes I look at the title of the email and delete it without even reading it, and sometimes I actually save it to read later, or open it right then.  I received an email about a week ago titled "Bacon Chicken and Dumplings," and got around to reading it yesterday.  The approach they took to the recipe was very different from the way I make mine, and I thought it might be possible to incorporate some of the ideas into my recipe, but still do it my way.  The empty pot that almost got licked clean by my kids (and my husband) confirmed my suspicions, but I do have to give credit where credit is due, and the inspiration was the email I received from that website.  If you want to check out their recipe, you might enjoy it, but here is what I did:


Bacon Chicken & Dumplings
1.5 pounds bacon (I used hickory smoked)
2.5 pounds chicken, cubed
1 bag frozen southern hash brown potatoes
1 tsp onion powder (the recipe on the other website used actual onion)
12 cups chicken broth (water + bouillon cubes)
3 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
Spicy garlic seasoning to taste (I have a grinder, but you can use garlic powder instead)
2 splashes of lemon juice
1 1/2 cups half and half

Dumplings:

4 cups flour
1  tsp baking soda
1  tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp pepper

I normally boil my chicken for chicken and dumplings, so this was the first departure. 

Start with the bacon, and fry it up  to a nice brown color.  Set it to the side as it finishes (leave it for now), and drain almost all of the grease afterwards.  Make sure to keep the drippings!

While cooking the bacon, put the water, bouillon cubes, and the rest of the poultry seasoning into your big silver stock pot and start heating it up (once it boils, turn it down to a simmer).  If you have additional down time in between adding uncooked bacon to the pan and turning the bacon over, prepare your dumpling mixture. 

Dumplings: Mix your flour, soda, and salt and pepper together.  Once the dry ingredients are mixed, cut the shortening in (I use a fork and just make it crumble nicely).  Add your milk and mix.  If you have time before you start your chicken, potatoes and such, go ahead and roll out your dough and slice it into dumpling strips. If you don't have time, you can do it after you add the bacon and cream while your dinner simmers.

Note on the dumplings:  I had to use my hands to finish mixing the dough, and it was a little stickier than my other dumplings, mostly because for my other kind of chicken and dumplings I use a triple batch of dough, and I had to change the mixture since the additional bacon changed how it all went together.  It still worked just fine, and was plenty tasty enough. 

Cook the diced chicken in the bacon drippings and the teensy bit of grease that was left in the pan (hopefully less than a tsp worth of the grease after you drain).  Add the onion powder and about 1 1/2 tsp of the poultry seasoning to the chicken as it cooks.  Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, dump everything from the pan into your large silver stock pot.  Immediately put the potatoes in the already hot frying pan.  When they are lightly browned, added them to the stock pot as well.

Crumbled the bacon and add it to the pot.  Add the half and half.  Bring it back up to boil if the half and half cools the contents too much, then turn it back down, since it should be simmering at about medium low for as much of the process as possible (everything except your initial boil if you can manage it).  Make sure you are happy with the seasoning, and add whatever salt, pepper, garlic, etc. that you need if you aren't.  I used a couple of splashes of lemon juice after I tasted mine at this point in the cooking, just to take a little of the edge off.  I usually use more with my other recipe, but the bacon adds so much to the flavor of this, I didn't want to use too much.  You can even do without if you prefer.  Once you have your seasonings just right, start adding your dumplings. 

If you need to roll out your dumplings and slice them into strips, now is the time.  Once they are ready, feed them into the simmering pot, stirring occasionally so they don't stick together. 

Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, and make sure to stir frequently so it does not burn to the bottom of your pot.  Serve a yummy dinner!  If you have any questions, let me know. I'll be happy to answer any that you have.

Chicken & Dumplings

It is only right and proper that I begin with the ultimate in Southern food.  My husband swears when I make this that it is his absolute favorite thing I cook, though I'm pretty sure he says that about everything I make, so I can't be sure.  Please remember that I am never going to be cooking for less than four people, and sometimes as many as 8, with the hope of leftovers.  My typical pot of choice for this is my largest silver stock pot with the thick bottom.  Those cheapie thin bottom stock pots have issues with burning whatever you cook, no matter how careful you are to stir frequently.  Also, my chicken and dumplings is a full MEAL, and I make it with some veggies, just to make sure my kids get something decently healthy in their bodies, whether they like it or not.

Here goes:

Chelsea's Chicken & Dumplings

2.5 pounds chicken (I prefer breast meat or tenders, use what you like)
14 to 18 chicken bouillon cubes
14 to 18 cups water
1 bag shredded carrots
1 bag frozen southern hash brown potatoes
Dash of lemon juice
Cavender's Greek Seasoning to taste (this is the most important part!)

Dumplings:

6 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
9 tbsp shortening
2 cups milk

I start the chicken first.  Add 14 cups of water and bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and a healthy sprinkling of the Cavender's to your stock pot with the chicken and carrots, and boil for about 15 minutes.  Turn it down to a simmer and pull out your chicken (Do NOT use your hands - use a slotted spoon!).  Slice or shred it up depending on your preference (I always remove every last bit of chicken fat, because I just can't stand biting into it) and put it back in the simmering juice.  While it simmers, make your dumplings.

Dumplings:  Mix your flour, soda, and salt together.  I sometimes add black pepper if I'm feeling it, since it gives it a nice flavor.  Sometimes I toss some Cavender's in there, and sometimes I do it exactly like it says above.  Once your dry ingredients are mixed, cut your shortening in.  I use a fork and just make it crumble nicely.  Add your milk and mix.  At this point I usually have to stick my hands in there and knead it like I'm making bread.  Once you get a nice dough, roll it out flat on your flour-dusted cutting board and slice your dumplings.  I have a small countertop, so I do it half at a time.  As I finish cutting them, I feed them into my simmering pot.  The whole process of the dumplings takes the longest, so you will likely be simmering for close to an hour by the time you finish.  As you drop them in, you will have to stir everything up so they don't stick together.

Once all of your dumplings are in the pot, your soup should be thickened from the extra flour that was added from rolling your dumplings.  You shouldn't need extra, in fact, you may need to add those other four cups of water and bouillon cubes to the mix if too much of your liquid has boiled off.  You can add that at any time, or not if you don't need it.  Just remember to keep it as an option.  Not every meal will come out the same way every time. 

If you want potatoes in there (and we love potatoes at my house), toss that bag of the pre-cut ones in now.  I sometimes cook up fresh ones, but this is the fastest way, and chicken & dumplings can be a bit time consuming already.  Keep stirring after you toss them in, and turn your pot back up to about a medium high, unless your stove cooks really hot, then you might want it at medium so you don't burn the rest.  Once it bubbles a bit (not a full boil, mind), turn it back down to low.  This is when I taste-test a spoonful.  Sometimes I need to add another dash of lemon juice, sometimes it needs a bit more Cavender's.  You decide.  Once you have your seasonings just right, put your lid on and turn it back down to low.  Simmer for 10 minutes, and you have a fantastic meal, chock full of yummy potatoes and carrots and chicken and tons of dumplings.  And that's doing it my way.  If you have any questions, let me know.  I'll be happy to answer any that you have.