Cracker Barrel Copy Cat Chicken N' Dumplings

My grandson Sawyer and I just got back from visiting the Land of Lincoln.  It is our birthday today.  We were both born on August 14th (along with my dad and my brother).  So we decided to go explore our roots in honor of our birthdays.  My 5 greats grandmother was sister to Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's step-mother and the woman who raised him, so we went to visit their homestead and the graves of her and her 2nd husband Thomas.  We also trotted to Springfield to visit Lincoln's home and tomb.  While we were in Springfield we ate at a Cracker Barrel.  I haven't eaten at one for some time and tried their chicken and dumpling for the first time.  Their dumpling is not like my mama's (light fluffy Bisquick dumplings).  They are more like the Southern large noodle kind.  They were very good no matter.  So today, I'm sharing their recipe for their chicken and dumpling.

2 cups flour

½ teaspoons baking powder

1 pinch Salt

2 tbs. butter

1 cup buttermilk

2 quarts chicken broth

3 cups cooked chicken

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.

Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2 x 2 inches. It’s okay for them not to be exact.

Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15 to 20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken.    Cracker Barrel serves huge chunks of chicken that are as big or bigger than the dumplings.

Hope you have a great day.  I'm spending mine with my grandson so know it will be a great one.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.