A dinner of stewed chicken and dumplings was a Sunday family favorite when made by Great Grandma Juliana. On the farm, Juliana raised the chickens, slaughtered them, plucked their feathers in the backyard and brought the chicken into the kitchen just before preparing Sunday dinner.
In the old country of Czechoslovakia, dumplings were a staple and made from either flour or with potatoes. Many times dumplings, or Haluska, would be mixed with sautéed onions, or cheese curd or cottage cheese and be served as the main dish.
Grandma’s Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
The recipe below is one that was handed down from mother to daughter for four generations — Juliana to Pauline to Barbara to Megan. Second-generation daughter, Pauline, wrote this recipe on an index card to give to third-generation daughter, Barbara. Onions contribute substantially to the flavor of this dish, in addition to the fat rendered from the chicken.
Ingredients for Stewed Chicken:
- 2 large onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ chicken cut up or mixed chicken parts
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt shortening in a large skillet
Add sliced onions & sauté until soft
Add chicken & stew on moderate heat until tender.
Add butter as needed.
Remove chicken from skillet
Add cooked dumplings to skillet and stir to coat with onions
Ingredients for Dumplings:
- 3 cups flour
- 1.5 cups milk
- 1 egg
- Salt
Directions:
Add egg to milk and lightly beat together
Stir the salt into the flour
Add milk and egg mixture to the flour until the consistency of thick pancake batter
Place one-fourth of the batter on a flat plate and scrape small bits of batter with the edge of a butter knife into a large pot of boiling water.
Stir water occasionally with the knife and when dumplings rise to the surface of the water, scoop out with slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
Add butter to dumplings after placing them in a bowl.
Continue this process until all dumpling batter is cooked.
Great-Granddaughter’s Updated Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
The next recipe is an adaptation by a fourth-generation daughter, Megan, which is a healthier preparation cutting down on saturated fat by using boneless, skinless chicken, and adding whole-wheat flour for the dumplings.
Ingredients for Stewed Chicken:
- 2-4 skinless chicken breasts cut up
- 3 T butter or butter substitute
- 2-3 large onions sliced
- 1-2 cups chicken broth
Directions:
Melt 2 T butter in a large skillet
Add sliced onions & sauté until soft
Add chicken & stew on moderate heat until tender.
Add chicken broth if onions & chicken become dry.
Remove chicken from skillet
Add cooked dumplings to skillet and stir to coat with onions
Ingredients for Dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1.5 cups milk
- 1 egg
- Salt
Directions:
Add egg to milk and lightly beat together
Stir the salt into the flour
Add milk and egg mixture to the flour until the consistency of thick pancake batter
Place one-fourth of the batter on a flat plate and scrape small bits of batter with the edge of a butter knife into a large pot of boiling water.
Stir water occasionally with the knife and when dumplings rise to the surface of the water, scoop out with slotted spoon and place in a bowl with some chicken broth to keep from sticking together.
Continue this process until all dumpling batter is cooked.
This family favorite is now being served to the fifth-generation daughters who enjoy it as much as their mother and grandmother, and will, hopefully, carry on the tradition when they are old enough to be cooking in their own kitchens.
