I've always used can biscuits (only Pillsbury BUTTERMILK biscuits)and I always "batter" them in flour before dropping them into the boiling broth. They always come out thick and creamy. I usually have slaw when I have C&D's!:D

I use a frozen dumplin by Mary Hill. Can't tell them from homemade. I stopped making them when I discovered these.
Keep your water at a rolling boil drop in the dumplins one at a time, after they have cooked 15 to 20 minutes and are tender I make a paste of butter and my chicken. Works for us.

I like fluffy chicken and dumplings, and you can make those from bisquick, however, I make mine this way:

Boil a chicken and remove meat from the bones. De-fat the broth by cooling it. If you need more broth, add canned Swanson's.

I don't really measure my ingredients, but basically for the amount I make it is about 2 cups of self rising flour, and I
cut butter into it. I use a lot of butter...but I'd use at least 2/3 of a stick...I use a whole one. I work it in until it is like meal. Then I add buttermilk, stirring until it is a soft dough, similar for biscuits. I often take a little chopped fresh parsley and mix in at the same time.

Put chicken meat in the pot with the broth and bring to a boil. Drop the dumplings by the spoonful onto the hot broth. The chicken underneat will help support them. If they sink, you want them to pop right back up. Cover the top of the pot with dumplings. Put the lid on and cook for
about 15 min. without peeking. You want the broth to be a gentle boil...not a rolling boil, because you don't want to boil all the broth away.

Uncover and sprinkle with a little black pepper.

I think Cracker Barrel makes the kind that you roll and cut out. I'm not crazy about their dumplings because I like the fluffy kind. If you make those, you don't want them to sink and absorb broth. They should be dry and fluffy on the inside. Enough flour will cook off to make the broth white, like gravy.

I guess you like the kind you grew up with...and that's the kind my mother always made.

I just started using a new chicken and dumpling recipe. It calls for cream of chicken soup mixed with water (I use a whisk to mix it well before adding to the chicken)instead of broth .. this makes a very thick 'gravy'.

I also use Bisquick like Marilyn does so I get fluffy dumplings.

Never useed the biscuits or bisquick this was my Mom's receipe and what I always used .

MomÂs soup Dumplings

Beat 2 eggs - put a good teaspoon of salt in eggs. Add a pinch of baking powder in 1 cup or more of flour and sift a little at a time into eggs, mixing good with a fork until thick. Break off with fork into soup . Cook about 15 minutes.

these were delicious I don't know if I'd use as much salt today. these can also be rolled out and cut into noodles. Cracker Barrel's are pretty close to these.

Thanks so very much for all of your help and ideas. I can tell you that although I'm a fair cook, I get very nervous cooking for strangers. Please say a little prayer that I can pull this off.

Bisquick and water are the best dumpling ever...and I always thicken the broth a little if the dumpling don't do it.

I prefer Chicken and homemade noodles over the dumplings. I like the dumplings in my stew. In fact that just might be on my menu for supper tonight.

I'm sure not an expert but I thought I would share what I do for just the 2 of us. I buy a roasted chicken we have for dinner and then use the left overs for chicken and dumplings. I use 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can mixed vegetables with juice and chicken broth until I like the consistancy. Mix all up with the chicken. I make dumplings with Bisquck using half the recipe.

I always add a can of cream of chicken soup to mine.I take out about a cup of broth from the dumplings and mix with the soup then add to the dumplings.

Adding a couple of small chopped Ruttabagga sweetens and thickens the pot. I always added baby carrots, onion and celery.

I have a Spinach Salad as a side.

Cornbread with Dumplins is overload on Breads.

I agree that the cornbread is probably a bit much but we have lots of men that are pretty hearty eaters and many have requested cornbread. We're trying to make this a down home dinner but I do appreciate any and all ideas.

No expert myself, but my HD is an expert @ eating them wherever and whenever! But, I was so surprised when he asked for the saltine crackers! What....saltine crackers why? He can't really explain why, just something served when his mom made C&D, maybe they were too thin and he needed the crackers to thicken them? Kinda like the cornbread...or is it a man thing?

I use the same dough that I use for biscuits.... no recipe... the ratio is approx 2 cups flour, 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda, 1/4 cup margerine, a teaspoon or two of sugar, a half teaspoon of salt, and enough milk to make a soft dough. I drop by large spoonfuls (probably 2-3 Tablespoons) into boiling chicken broth (with plenty of boneless chicken mixed in). I put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes or so, then check to see if they are done (by poking one with a fork and seeing if it is cooked inside.

This makes a nice big dumpling which is dry in the middle (not soaked through). You could add a little flour thickening (floor mixed with cold milk) or cornflour thickening if you wanted the broth thicker.

I like green beans served as a side with chicken and dumplings :-)

I would love a full recipe posted for Chicken and Dumplings...I've never made it before. I would, however, like to use chicken breasts, not the whole chicken with teh bones, etc. Is that possible?

Sure. If the broth isn't rich enough, add a can of cream of chicken soup, like someone said. You don't want it to not have any "chicken taste". I was thinking about making some myself, but only me here right now, so going to make a small scale version. I will probably cook a whole chicken and save the legs and thighs for another meal...and just make a smaller batch of dumplings. The dumplings made from scratch are very easy and forgiving if you need to add a little more flour or milk. Hard to mess them up. I always use self rising flour and buttermilk, but you could use regular milk.

It's good comfort food on a cold winter evening.

bearcat, I don't think anyone ever uses the whole chicken including bones.... or at least I've never run into it. I often use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut up) in any recipe that calls for chicken. Because I'm kind of lazy and don't like deboning, not because I don't like the other parts of the chicken.

I'm seriously craving fluffy dumplings. They're good just cooked in broth or water even and put in a bowl and covered with Great Northern bean soup. BIL taught me that. Yum!

Bearcat, I always use boneless chicken breasts in mine. The recipe below is the one I use, although I use Bisquick dumplings instead of the biscuits that the recipe calls for. It takes them a little longer (about 10 - 15 minutes) though when making them in the crock pot.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chicken and Dumplings