When making chicken and dumplings, is it best to make the dumplings from scratch?

Question

Or is it okay to cheat with ready-made biscuit dough?

Answer 1

You can always cheat if you want, as long as it tastes good.

Home made dumplings are easy.
Bring water with small sprinkle of salt, or chicken soup base in water to boil.
Mix one quarter cup flour with one egg and one cup of milk or water in a small bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and maybe granulated garlic. Mix well. Drop by spoonful into boiling soup or boiling water that you have put on the stove. This process will create small dumpling drops to add to chicken. Somewhat like a homemade pasta.

Answer 2

Here's a great "home made" Chicken 'N Dumplings Recipe. Ingredients: Base: * 2-1/2 to 3 lb. Chicken (whole) * 4 C Water * 2 C Chicken broth * 1 Carrot, roughly chopped * 1 Medium onion, cut into quarters * 1 Stalk of celery, roughly chopped * 1/2 t Salt * 1 C Milk * 1/4 t Freshly ground pepper . Dumplings: * 2 C All-purpose flour * 1/2 t Baking soda * 1/2 t Salt * 3 T Shortening * 3/4 C Buttermilk Preparation: Place the chicken in a Dutch oven, and add the water, broth, carrot, onion, celery and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer for 60 to 70 minutes, or until tender and chicken is done. Remove chicken and allow it to cool enough to handle. Remove the carrot, onion and celery pieces from the broth and discard. Reserve the broth. Bone the chicken, discarding all skin and bones, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside. The Dumplings: Combine the flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is consistency of coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times -- no more. For drop dumplings, pat the dough down to a 1/4-inch thickness, and pinch off 1-1/2-inch pieces. For rolled dumplings, roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into 3" x 1" strips. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, and stir in the milk and pepper. Correct seasonings, if desired. Drop dumplings, one or two at a time, into the boiling broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir from time to time to make sure dumplings do not stick together. Cook dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Add the boned chicken to the mixture and simmer until heated through. Remove from heat. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Notes: Dumpling dough is very similar to biscuit dough and, like biscuit dough, the less it is handled, the lighter and more tender the result.

Answer 3

I think it is better with the ready made- get Pillsbury Hungry Jack biscuits and tear each in 4 pieces, put in the boiling pot-very good!! the bisquick dumplings never come out right- sometimes they absorb too much liquid and get too soggy

Answer 4

Nothing tastes better than homemade. They are so easy, quick, and simple to make, why would you want to use store bought items? You can also use the same recipe to make homemade noodles as well. All it takes is flour, eggs and salt. Depending on how many you are cooking for, use at least 3 to 4 eggs, 1/4 tsp. salt, and flour. Beat eggs, add salt, add flour until you form a ball. Make sure its not too dry but not sticky either. Then roll it out on floured board or countertop. For noodles, roll out very thin and then roll up and cut about 1/4 inch thick. For dumplings, roll out until it is about 1/4 inch thick and cut into small squares. Good luck!!

Answer 5

I have found a wonderful answer to not having to make noodles . In the section where noodles are , they now have boxed noodles from lib's , they are so good, thicken up just like home made dumpling , also they even have them in the freezer section for us lazy people who want to do it the easy way now . Honest you cannot tell the difference , give it a try

Answer 6

I don't really care for the dumplings. My mother would use Bisquick when she made them. They came out gooey on the outside and dry on the inside. Personally, I think it is okay to "cheat" when cooking.

Answer 7

My dad has always made the dumplings from scratch. They sure do taste better that way.

Answer 8

Use Jiffy mix or Bisquick. there is a recipe on the side of the box, they make awesome dumplings.

Answer 9

sure it is ok to cheat
use butter me knots...biscuits, tear them into pieces
put on the lid and let cook for about 12 minutes.

I have also used flour tortilllas, cut them in strips, and they are excellent

Answer 10

they taste better from scratch....but you can just use ready made biscuit dough