Side dish or dessert with chicken and dumplings?

Question

We are having company in a few days and they have requested chicken and dumplings. I normally don't serve a side dish or dessert when I cook them for my family--I was thinking though since this is company I may want to add a little something extra. Any recommendations on a side dish and dessert, or should I skip the side and only serve dessert with them? Thanks for your help!

Thank you so much for your help everyone!! The ideas have been wonderful and I can't pick a 'favorite' because they are all so good! Thanks for the recipes too--there are a few I am going to try. : ) Thanks again!

Answer 1

Mashed potatoes! I cannot stress how important mashed potatoes are! A good apple crisp or apple pie with vanilla ice cream is absolutely necessary, too!

Mashed potatoes:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traditional-Mashed-Potatoes/Detail.aspx

Apple Crisp:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Crisp-II/Detail.aspx

Apple Pie:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Pie-I/Detail.aspx

Answer 2

Chicken and dumplings are a great main meal I would maybe round out the meal with a salad or a veggie side of some sort.. Green beans, brussel spouts or cooked carrots.. Make a "dump cake" w/ ice cream for dessert...

Get a boxed cake mix...A 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple w/ liquid and it works well with cherry pie filling but, you can use just about any pie filling... and a stick of butter cut into pats... Dump the pineapple in the 13x9 inch baking dish... Top with cake mix (dry) and put dollops of cherry pie filling over the cake mix until you use the whole can... Top the whole "cake" with pats of butter and bake 350 degrees until bubbly/brown.. You can serve alone or over vanilla ice cream... You can vary the recipie 1000 ways and use different cake mixes/pie fillings and fruit.. There's tons of different recipies on line... I've just done it this way.... Good luck...

Answer 3

I often serve creamy cole slaw or tomato, feta and basil salad with chicken and dumplings...they are both so pretty and colorful, next to the chicken which is sort of bland in color.

Dessert? How about something chocolate, like chocolate cream pie, or Black Forest Trifle? Here are my own recipes:

Creamy Cole Slaw
shred green and purple cabbage, shred 1 large carrot (I use the food processor with the knife blade). Mix together. Make the dressing: Blend together with a wire whip 1 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip), 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 cup sugar. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat well. This recipe is best when it is allowed to rest in the fridge for several hours.

Tomato, Feta and Basil Salad (Serves about 6)
Make the vinagrette: Mix into a bowl 1/2 cup vinegar (any kind - balsamic is good), 1 clove of minced fresh garlic, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. While whisking, pour in 1 cup good olive oil, continue to whisk until well blended. Prepare the salad: Slice 6 or 7 roma tomatoes and put into mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves and 4 ounces crumbled and drained feta cheese. Toss well and spread on platter. At serving time, mix vinagrette again and pour over platter.

I sort of "invented" this recipe for Black Forest Trifle. It is so pretty. You'll need a clear trifle dish (if you don't know what that is - it is a large, tall glass vessel with a foot), if you don't have one - a large, clear bowl will do...I stress "clear" because you'll want to show off the layers of the trifle.
Bake a chocolate cake in 2 round pans (from scratch or a mix), but do not frost. Make 6 servings of chocolate pudding (again, from scratch or a mix). Have ready a container of Cool Whip and 2 cans of cherry pie filling. You'll only need one of the cake layers, freeze the other one for another time. Cut the cake layer into quarters, then slice the quarters horizontally. To make the trifle, layer pieces of cake, then pudding, then cherry pie filling in the trifle dish. You'll have to work with the cake pieces cutting and fitting them to make a layer in the dish, but don't worry...no one will see the "patch job". After each set of cake/pudding/pie filling layers, press down gently. Repeat layers until the trifle dish is almost full. Then spread Cool Whip over the top and garnish with some chocolate shavings. It is important to make this early in the day, or the day before and keep in the fridge in order to let the layers "melt" together.
I make this when I want to really impress someone. It looks hard, but it isn't. And it tastes fantastic!

I hope I've helped you.

Answer 4

Spinach Casserole 4 pkg. Frozen Spinach 12 oz sm curd cottage cheese 8 oz creme cheese a stick butter or oleo a can water chestnuts parmesan cheese bread crumbs cook spinach as directed on package, drain mis next 4 ingredients until all are melted and mixed pour into cassarole dish an spread, lightly sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top cook in preheated oven 350 for 25-30 min serves 6

Answer 5

A salad would be a good side dish. I usually serve with corn and peas.

Having the dumplings....I would not serve a dessert that has any flour in it such as pie, cobbler etc... I would serve a chocolate pudding with topping or a fruit salad with topping.

Answer 6

I make my chicken and dumplings without any other vegetables, so I always include a green vegetable with my meal, usually green beans. You could also make spiced apples, for a little different taste. I would not advise making a bread, because the noodles are enough starch/bread.

Anything you choose to have for a dessert I am sure would be enjoyed!

Answer 7

DESSERT PIZZA

1 tube prepared cookie dough (Pillsbury sugar cookie or chocolate chip)
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
An equal amount of marshmallow fluff
Fresh fruit (several kinds of choice - strawberries, nectarines, kiwi, peaches, grapes, etc.), cut up - Kiwi & Rasberrys taste great
Powdered sugar

Spread cookie dough on a round cookie sheet or pizza pan so it looks like pizza dough and bake. Let cool. While cooling, mix softened cream cheese and marshmallow fluff together and spread on cookie dough when dough is cool (you can substitute a can of cream cheese frosting). Arrange fruit over top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and chill. Slice like a pizza.

This is my all time favorite dessert. Its not to heavy and has just the right amount of sweetness. I often bring it to BB-Q's and potlucks and it ALWAYS disappears, fast. When I take it to BB-Q's I always go to the pizza place right by my house and ask them if I can have a pizza box, I line the (NEW) pizza box with wax paper and use it to take the dessert pizza to the party, its cute and I don't have to worry about lost dishes or making the host wash another Pyrex dish.

Answer 8

apple crisp

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
2 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.
Take half of the mixture and pat it into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Cover crumb mixture with apple slices, then sprinkle apple slices with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender.

Answer 9

A salad or bread side dish because that is a heavy meal in itself. Maybe a jello salad or something light for dessert.

Answer 10

We always have considered chicken and dumplings as a full meal, carrots, celery, onion, etc. But some peach or apple pie sure does set it off well.
They are your guests. I am sure they will not feel slighted whatever you serve them.