Ingredients:
• 1 whole chicken (3-6 lbs)
• 2 quarts water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shortening (Crisco sticks)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar)
Cooking Instructions:
Preparing the Chicken:
1. Place the whole chicken in a Dutch oven
2. Add water and 2 teaspoons salt
3. Bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour until chicken is tender
5. Remove chicken from broth and let cool
6. Debone chicken and cut meat into bite-sized pieces
Making the Dumplings:
1. Bring chicken broth back to a boil
2. Add black pepper
3. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl
4. Cut in shortening
5. Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork until moistened
6. Knead dough 4-5 times
7. Pinch off small pieces of dough and drop into boiling broth
8. Reduce heat to medium-low
9. Cook dumplings 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Final Step:
• Stir in chicken pieces
• Serve hot
Pro Tips:
• Can be made in pressure cooker (30 minutes)
• Alternative method possible in crockpot
Enjoy your homemade Cracker Barrel-style chicken and dumplings!