Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe
Try this Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe.
Try this Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Copycat Recipe.
- Carbohydrate 40.1020552097074 g
- Cholesterol 55.2549479210836 mg
- Fat 10.5552869806527 g
- Fiber 0.89600001335144 g
- Protein 17.7852838551285 g
- Saturated Fat 4.07246458427176 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (353g)
- Sodium 493.673625038861 mg
- Sugar 39.2060551963559 g
- Trans Fat 1.01616968759926 g
- Calories 326 calories
Step-by-step
- I started this recipe by boiling my chicken first. After the chicken was completely cooked, I removed the cooked chicken and shredded it into smaller pieces. I set it aside to make the dumplings. This created my broth.
- You can use leftover chicken for this recipe also. If you don't boil your chicken, or are using leftovers, you can heat up 2 quarts of chicken broth you purchase from the store. Or, add a bit of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. (not all stores carry this but you can grab a can on Amazon) This stuff is amazing and gives it such a good flavor. In fact, even when I boil my own chicken I spoonful of this stuff for extra flavor!
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. The pastry blender is easy to use especially when the butter is rock hard.
- Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until the dough forms a ball.
- Heavily flour a work surface. The ball of dough will be a bit sticky and you don't want it sticking to your counter. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings. I like to use a pizza cutter.
- Roll the dough out thin with a rolling pin. Be sure to dust your rolling pin with flour before you use it to prevent sticking. Now cut the dumplings in squares about 2 inch strips as seen in the photos. These do not have to be perfect by any means. You want them all about the same size so they will all cook the same.
- Next, I use a spatula to put them back in the bowl the dough just came from. I'm all about messing up less dishes so I have less to clean up. When you pick up the dumplings, if you notice any sticking you may want to dust them with a little bit more flour so they don't stick. Don't worry about using too much flour though. The extra flour dust helps create the thicker soup sauce.
- To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in a small amount at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and Voila! Dinner is done!
When keeping grocery budgets tight while demanding hearty fare, homemade dumplings offer a reliable solution that stretches simple pantry staples like flour and broth into a filling meal. Rolling the dough thin and cutting it into roughly two-inch squares ensures that every piece cooks evenly through the center without remaining raw and pasty on the inside. While fresh preparation yields the ideal texture, this dish adapts remarkably well to advance meal planning when handled correctly. Cooked dumplings and broth can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though the starches will continue to absorb liquid as they sit. To freeze the dish successfully for up to three months, undercook the dumplings slightly by stopping the simmer at the twelve-minute mark, which prevents them from disintegrating into mush when reheated from frozen over medium-low heat. Cooks frequently ruin this style of stew by dropping all the dough into the pot at once, which causes the pieces to fuse into a solid mass instead of thickening the broth independently.
