Chicken and Dumplings

[Jenise]

We don't have Cracker Barrel restaurants around here, but occasionally a CB commercial pops up on CNN or some other national cable show. I am totally mystified by what they tout as Chicken and Dumplings.

To me, chicken and dumplings is chicken pieces dusted with flour and browned to which the ingredients that would constitute a gravy are added for braising with dollops of biscuit dough added toward the end of cooking that turn into big puffy clouds. What I see in the commercial are flat noodles with scraps of shredded chicken. Or so I think.

What's up with this?

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/1472 ... rdslot%201

allrecipes.com is a good site IMHO.

Hope this helps.

Because pot pie is easier to wrangle than pieces.

[Jenise]

Pat, thanks. I didn't need recipes but this helps prove my point--all the pics there are of the type of C&D dish I am familiar with. The dish in the Cracker Barrel commercial has flat noodle-like dumplings, surely they were rolled out and cooked in a broth. Looks more like a tuna-noodle casserole than chicken and dumplings the only way I've ever known it.

I'm wondering if this is a popular alternative in the south.

[Jenise]

Okay, so I found a copycat recipe for Cracker Barrel style chicken and dumplings. And it has a good picture:

https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/9 ... dumplings/

As suspected from the commercial, the dumplings are rolled flat and cut like pasta. I think I'd like this a lot, though it needs more seasoning. Will try it soon!

While surfing I also learned these details: the original Cracker Barrel is in Tennessee. They've expanded westward but so far none are in Washington, though they got as far as Couer d'Alene Idaho. They serve like 12 million plates of chicken & dumplings annually. Oh, and the name: back in the day, country stores used to sell soda crackers (similar to Saltines) in barrels. Customers would use the barrels as makeshift tables to stand around and chat. Today, Cracker Barrel’s logo is still a man sitting in a rocking chair next to a cracker barrel.

I've lived a sheltered life, I guess, out here in the wild, wild west.

Don't like them too much. They paid millions in a racial discrimination lawsuit in 2004, they are facing a disability discrimination lawsuit since 2018, they've griped about 'heterosexual norms', and numerous other problems.

This article is a bit hysterical but it gives a list of their woes (I recommend Snopes for better details, however): https://www.mashed.com/37348/secrets-cracker-barrel-doesnt-want-know/

There is (was?) a Cracker Barrel somewhere here in New Hampshire. I've seen billboards for it. Never been there, though.

-Paul W.

For whatever reason I have never bonded with dumplings. They strike me as stodge, albeit occasionally feather light stodge, like eating cotton wool soaked in gravy.

And yes, I include bao in that - I'd on the whole prefer the food inside without the bland flour/water/salt around it.

Maybe due to a childhood experience I can't now recall (we had English nannies - not generally noted for their culinary skills)

[Jenise]

Don't like them too much. They paid millions in a racial discrimination lawsuit in 2004, they are facing a disability discrimination lawsuit since 2018, they've griped about 'heterosexual norms', and numerous other problems.

This article is a bit hysterical but it gives a list of their woes (I recommend Snopes for better details, however): https://www.mashed.com/37348/secrets-cracker-barrel-doesnt-want-know/

Oh, so in that self-righteous group like Hobby Lobby and Chic Fil A (which I studiously avoid for these reasons). They're not here to avoid, but were they I would. Currently boycotting Home Depot and Wendy's--which, believe it or not, is a minor hardship. If we're in town on errands and in a hurry but hungry, "Two Dave's hold the sauce" was our favorite solution. We did McDonalds one day instead and that was a "never again" so now we're down to tacos.

[Jenise]

Bill, we love them! And Bob is a biscuit guy, which is essentially what a dumpling is--a steamed biscuit.

We don't have Cracker Barrel restaurants around here, but occasionally a CB commercial pops up on CNN or some other national cable show. I am totally mystified by what they tout as Chicken and Dumplings.

To me, chicken and dumplings is chicken pieces dusted with flour and browned to which the ingredients that would constitute a gravy are added for braising with dollops of biscuit dough added toward the end of cooking that turn into big puffy clouds. What I see in the commercial are flat noodles with scraps of shredded chicken. Or so I think.

What's up with this?

One of the ATK shows had an episode on Chicken and Dumplings. The dumplings were like you mentioned flat and more like large pieces of pasta. I think they called it "https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/6378-chicken-and-slicks". It didn't appeal to me since I and used to chicken with flour dumplings floating in it. I would rather just make a pot pie and put some drop biscuits on top.

[Jenise]

Slicks! Now there's a new one on me. Thicker, softer pasta. I can't see the ingredients list as I'm not a member, but presuming you can, is there any leavening like a tiny amount of baking powder involved in theirs? Or eggs?

Oh, so in that self-righteous group like Hobby Lobby and Chic Fil A (which I studiously avoid for these reasons).

Yup.

They're not here to avoid, but were they I would. Currently boycotting Home Depot and Wendy's--which, believe it or not, is a minor hardship. If we're in town on errands and in a hurry but hungry, "Two Dave's hold the sauce" was our favorite solution. We did McDonalds one day instead and that was a "never again" so now we're down to tacos.

Dave Whats-his-face is a bigot from way back.

Not sure what's up with Home Depot. Same sort of thing as Walmart? (cult of low-salary)

[Jenise]

Maybe that with Home Depot. Home construction is a blue collar, pickup truck, Bubba kind of world, that's for sure. And the CEO is one of Trump's major donors so must be a bigot too--honestly, who can be in Trump's corner if they're not?

Your chicken and dumplings has inspired me to make chicken forestiere tonight. Chicken thighs with a sauce of mushrooms, cream and Madeira.

Hmm....a pinot noir, a sangiovese. or a nebbiolo.....

[Jenise]

That sounds good! And any of those would work, of course.

Me, I'm a vegetarian today. Went out with friends last night where we could dine in an open-air "beer garden". Bob and I shared a sampler, four 4 oz pours. Then he ordered a pint of his favorite and I switched to wine, which means I drank no more than 8 oz of beer. This morning? Mr. Gout is screaming from my left foot.

Actually growing up in the south that sounds more like what we had for chicken and dumplings. Biscuit dough, rolled into thick sheets, sliced, and added to a buttery thick chicken stew to cook (maybe the dough had butter as well). I loved it. though when Betsy makes chicken and dumplings it sounds more like what Jenise makes.

[
Dave Whats-his-face is a bigot from way back.
Not sure what's up with Home Depot. Same sort of thing as Walmart? (cult of low-salary)

I haven't eaten at a Wendys in years, but just because I almost never eat at fast food restaurants.What was Dave Thomas a bigot about (he's been dead nearly 20 years)? His main political focus was adoption (and it looks like the Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation is actually pretty clearly pro-LBGTQ adoption).
I'm all for voting with your pocketbook, but should be clear why (I actually like Chik-fil-a, but don't eat there; it's even easier for me to boycott Hobby lobby since I don't want anything they sell)

[Jenise]

Definitely a southern thang, Dale, from all reports. I'd love it, I can tell, though I'd be compelled to add vegetables to increase the nutritional value.

Wendy's CEO was rumored to have donated around half a million to Trump's campaign, but it turns out it was a mega-franchise owner not Wendy's per se itself. Draw a line down the middle of the country with TX, MN and IA on the left border, and he (Texas-based) owns a couple hundred restaurants all the way to the eastern seaboard, NY where you are included. Like you we avoid fast food, but unfortunately where we live it's close to impossible to get a fast mid-day something-to-tide-you-over any other way when 'town' is a half hour plus from home. Wendy's is a decent solution (no drinks, fries or frills) if errands take too long and we only have 6.5 minutes to spare. Not a lot of options here, and we don't like any of the others.

Slicks! Now there's a new one on me. Thicker, softer pasta. I can't see the ingredients list as I'm not a member, but presuming you can, is there any leavening like a tiny amount of baking powder involved in theirs? Or eggs?

Nope. No leavening.

[Jenise]

Just broth and oil (thanks for sending the recipe), which explains how it gets slick. Btw, Chinese noodles that are called something like "dry fried" have a similar slick texture which I adore. I get it!

I haven't eaten at a Wendys in years, but just because I almost never eat at fast food restaurants.What was Dave Thomas a bigot about (he's been dead nearly 20 years)? His main political focus was adoption (and it looks like the Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation is actually pretty clearly pro-LBGTQ adoption).
I'm all for voting with your pocketbook, but should be clear why (I actually like Chik-fil-a, but don't eat there; it's even easier for me to boycott Hobby lobby since I don't want anything they sell)

Well, I can't find anything of the right era (1990s) on Dave. I guess I had misinformation. Sorry, Dave!
As to Trumpety contributions, while the Big Franchisee is not the same as Wendy's Corporate, there is evidence that the investment group that actually owns Wendy's (and a bunch of other brand names) does make such contributions.

Wendy's CEO was rumored to have donated around half a million to Trump's campaign, but it turns out it was a mega-franchise owner not Wendy's per se itself. Draw a line down the middle of the country with TX, MN and IA on the left border, and he (Texas-based) owns a couple hundred restaurants all the way to the eastern seaboard, NY where you are included. Like you we avoid fast food, but unfortunately where we live it's close to impossible to get a fast mid-day something-to-tide-you-over any other way when 'town' is a half hour plus from home. Wendy's is a decent solution (no drinks, fries or frills) if errands take too long and we only have 6.5 minutes to spare. Not a lot of options here, and we don't like any of the others.

Of the Big Three burger chains, I always pick Wendy's, not that I eat there very often--probably a couple of years ago (it's a carb thing). Besides, I own Wendy's stock. I won't eat at Chik-Fil-A and try to avoid Hobby Lobby. I'm not a fan of Home Depot, either. Now I shun Goya.

Mr. Gout is screaming from my left foot.

Good thing you don't have the Katzenjammer kids around.

[Jenise]

An addendum: an episode of southern chef-restauranteur Vivian Howard's PBS show popped up last week on the topic 'dumplings', so I watched. Apparently similar to the Cracker Barrel style version, in North Carolina there exists a specialty called "Chicken and Pastry". For that, the correct flavor requires an old non-laying hen, boiled for some time, then meat removed from the bone. The broth is seasoned with but salt and pepper, and the pastry--which is essentially like a pie crust, I don't even think there were eggs in it--is rolled out and cut in strips. Then the stuff is layered in the pot of broth--chicken, pastry, chicken, pastry, chicken--and simmered for awhile. A new one to me!