Chicken-N-Dumplings

Maw Maw's Chicken N Dumplings (North Carolina Style)

1 Whole Chicken
3 Cups of self rising flour
2 Cups of warm broth
1 Egg
Salt & Pepper
Wax Paper, and extra flour for dusting
Rolling Pin
Pizza Cutter
Large stock pot/dutch oven
Chicken Broth (reserved from cooking the chicken)

Cook chicken in a large pot until done and tender (I like to do mine in the crock pot all day this saves time for later. I sometimes cook the chicken one day and do the dumplings another day.)

Remove chicken from bone, cut into bite size pieces. Reserve broth.

Bring Broth to a slow boil while you are rolling out the dumplings. You will need a good boil by the time you cut the dumplings and are ready to drop them.

In a separate bowl, add 3 cups of flour. Create a hole down in the middle of the bowl, so that the flour is now like a "ring" with a dry spot down in the middle. You will then crack the egg and place the yoke down in that hole. Then add 1 cup of warm broth to the egg and mix slightly with a fork. Once you have that mixed then you begin to pull the flour down into the egg/broth mixture. This will create a dough.  Place your wax paper out on a table and sprinkle it with flour. Put flour on your hands and then work the dough into one large ball. Pinch off three sections of dough, they are about 1 good handful each. Place the dough on the wax paper and add flour to the rolling pin (just rub it on lightly) roll out the dough about 1/4 inch thick. You may need to flip to dough over to keep a more circular dough. Then repeat with the other two sections of dough. Once you have them rolled out, take a pizza cutter and cut strips about 2 to 3 inches in length.

Now you are ready to drop the dumplings! Make sure your broth is boiling good and begin to break your long strips into bite size pieces. I like thicker dumplings so I don't roll all mine out so thin- I like variety. Once they are all in the pot, add a little salt and turn your heat down to low. Add in your chicken pieces.  You will then cover the pot with a lid and let them cook down for about 10 minutes.

By the time you set the table and call everyone to wash up, the dumplings are ready to serve!
They are so delicious. Next time I cook them I will take photos each step of the way and or video the process. It's easier than it sounds!

Fried Pickles

Catherine, military wife stationed overseas sent in this recipe.

1 pint sliced dill pickles, undrained
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon all purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour.
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 to 2 tsp red ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
Vegetable oil


Drain pickles, reserving 2/3 cup of the juice. Press pickles between paper towels. Combine 2/3 cup of pickle juice, egg, 1 tablespoon of flour & hot sauce. Stir well & set aside.

Combine 1 1/2 cup of flour with ground red pepper, garlic powder, salt & paprika. Blend well. Dip pickles in egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture. Fry coated pickles in 375 degree oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Dirty Rice

Catherine, military wife stationed overseas sent in this recipe.

1lb lean ground beef
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 ribs of celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup).
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup uncooked rice
1 (14.5 ounce)  can beef broth
3/4 cup of water


Cook ground beef and next 5 ingredients in a large skillet over med/high heat, stirring until beef crumbles & is no longer pink. Drain meat.

Stir in salt & next three ingredients; stirring well. Add rice, broth & cup of water.; stirring well. Bring to a boil; cover & reduce heat. Simmer 25-30 minutes or until rice if tender.

A Different Mayo

This is an old Southern Living recipe & a friend made some tomato sandwiches with it the other day that were amazing!

1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon grated onion

Mix together & allow to sit over night.

Use this spread instead of plain mayo on a tomato sandwich. It will seriously knock your socks off!
And if you are not a onion fan, don't worry! You grate the onion to get the flavor, so there is no diced onion pieces.

Of course you can try this spread on any kind of sandwich.

Mom's Mac & Cheese

 This is the mac & cheese recipe Mom makes for the holidays. Per my Paw's request. It is also my husbands favorite & she often makes him a roasting pan full as a gift!  You can always change up the cheeses to fit what you like best.



1 lb elbow pasta
1/2 big box of Velvetta
Reg. block of sharp cheddar
Small can of Parmesan cheese
1 stick of butter
2 eggs
Milk
Salt
Pepper
Garlic salt


After pasta is cooked till it's chewy, drain & let butter melt with it. Add salt, pepper, garlic salt & all the cheese after it's been chopped. Stir well. Beat 2 eggs & 2 cup of milk in a separate bowl. Pour into the pasta & cheese. Stir well. Pour more milk into the pasta & other ingredient until it almost covers it. Stir well. Bake in the oven on 400 degrees. Bake until it bubbles, take out  stir well. Do this about 3x's. Let cook until golden on top. Cooks for about 45 min-1hr.