Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings

It's not often Brad puts in a request for dinner, especially not one with chicken in it. With him & Em feeling under the weather today he wanted a hearty home cooked meal & asked that I finally get around to making Chicken & Dumplings. I've never made this dish before so of course I had to "google" and found what they say is Cracker Barrel's recipe. Here it is:

Chicken & Broth:
3 quarts water
1 3-4lb chicken, cut up
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled & quartered
1 bay leaf
4-6 whole parsley leaves
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk

Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add chicken, 1 tsp salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf & parsley to the pot. Reduce heat to simmer & cook uncovered for 2 hours.

When chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot & set aside. Strain the stock to remove all the vegetables & floating scum (ew, I just copied what the recipe says, that sounds nasty)

Pour 6 cups of stock into a smaller pot. Add ground pepper & the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt & lemon juice. Reheat stock while preparing dumplings.

For dumplings, combine flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 tsp salt & milk in a bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll dough onto floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all of the dough. The dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until thick. Stir often.

While the stock is thickening, the chicken will have become cool enough to handle. Tear all the meat from the bones & remove the skin. Cut the chicken into bite size or a little bigger than bite size pieces & drop them into the pot. Discard the skin & bones. Continue to simmer the chicken & dumplings for another 5-10 minutes, but don't stir too vigorously or the chicken will fall apart.

When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle portions onto plate & serve hot.

Makes 8 1 cup servings.

Cashew Chicken

I love Chinese food. . and lucky for me & my waist line there is no good Chinese take out around here. When I saw this recipe on Jessica's site I knew I had to give it a shot. I am trying to love peppers and although I can't bring myself to eat them I kept them in this dish for the flavor. Turned out delicious! I adjusted this recipe from 2-3 servings to 6 servings but here's the original 2-3 servings recipe:

2 boneless chicken breasts, chopped
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 red pepper, sliced thin
3 green onions, chopped (didn't have any)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium heat. Add mushrooms & saute until soft; 5 minutes. Remove. Season chicken with s&p then sprinkle with cornstarch, making sure each piece is coated. Add remaining oil to skillet & add chicken. Brown on all sides until cooked. Add garlic, red pepper, edamame, 1/2 of the green onions & cashews. Stir 30 seconds. Turn heat down. In bowl, mix honey & soy sauce. Pour into skillet coating chicken & veggies. Garnish with remaining green onions.

I served this over white rice with the Chinese Egg Flower Soup.

Chicken Alfredo

I usually just crack open a jar of alfredo sauce when I'm in the mood for alfredo but when I saw this recipe I figured I'd give it a whirl.

1lb pasta of your liking - I used angel hair because that's what I had in the house.
1lb chicken, cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 cups fat free milk
1 cup half & half
1 cup parmesan cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Cook chicken & garlic in butter over medium heat. Remove chicken, keep warm. Combine corn starch & milk until smooth. Stir into skillet. Add cream. Bring to a boil & cook while stirring until thickened. Stir in cheese, continue to stir until cheese is melted. Add spinach, chicken & italian seasoning. Add pasta to mixture. Cook & stir until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

makes 12 1 cup servings

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Surprisingly the weather in Louisiana this week has been what we consider "cold" so it's been the perfect time to make some hearty soups. I came across this one on Gina's site and knew I had to give it a try.

1/4 cup flour
2 cups water
4 cups fat free milk
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
8oz mushrooms, chopped
2 chicken bouillons
10 oz frozen mixed veggies (carrots, corn, peas etc)
2 potatoes, peeled & cubed
16 oz cooked chicken, cubed
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Mix flour with 1/2 cup of cold water to create a slurry. I had to google "slurry" basically it's a thickener. Set the flour mixture aside.

Add the rest of the water plus the milk to a pot. Bring to a boil. Add celery, mushrooms, onion, bouillons, thyme & mixed vegetables, return to a boil. Partially cover the pot & let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add potatoes. Turn heat up a little & cook until potatoes are soft. Add chicken. Slowly stir in slurry. Mix well. Cook until soup has thickened.

Emily was raving over this & all the ingredients in it. I served it with salad & crescent rolls. Delish.




Makes 9 servings.

Calories: 169.2 Fat: 1.2 g Protein: 18.5 g Carbs: 21.2 g Fiber: 2.3 g

Spinach Stuffed Chicken and Italian Simmered Rice

4 cups spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil
3 wedges Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese spread
1/2 tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, tenderized until flat
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Place chicken between 2 pieces of wax paper. Flatten chicken with mallet or back side of heavy frying pan.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 dish with cooking spray.

Cook spinach in oil with garlic until wilted. Transfer to bowl. Stir in cheese & breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt & pepper

Lay 1 breast out flat. Scoop spinach mixture onto chicken. Roll. Secure with toothpicks & transfer to baking dish. Repeat with remaining breasts.

Bake at 350 25-30 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Serves 4. 8pts each.




I served this chicken with an Italian Simmered Rice

3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Pour broth into sauce pan. Sprinkle in italian seasoning. Bring to boil. Add rice & spinach. Bring to boil. Cover & turn to low. Cook 20 minutes until rice is tender.

Serves 4. 4pts each.

This dinner was extremely filling & very satisfying. I will definitely make it again.

Buffalo Chicken Skewers

With football season coming, I've been searching for low point appetizer type foods that would keep me in check but also satisfy the rest of the family. I found these in Weight Watchers Magazine.

1lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup hot sauce
3 tbsp light butter, melted *I used regular butter I had on hand*
1 tbsp ketchup
18 celery sticks
3/4 cup light blue cheese


Soak 18 skewers in water for 30 minutes.
Preheat broiler.
Pound 9 tenders until 1/4 inch thickness, cut in half crosswise.
Combine hot sauce, butter & ketchup. Add chicken to mixture. Toss well. Thread 1 piece per skewer. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
Cover baking sheet with foil, coat with cooking spray. Place skewers on foil. Broil 3 minutes on each side.
Serve with celery & dressing

18 servings = 1 skewer, 1 celery & 2tsp dressing, 1pt.


I am saving the leftover chicken & will throw it on top of a salad. I really loved this recipe.

California Chicken Spaghetti

1lb uncooked Angel hair pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless, chicken breasts cut into strips
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp basil
2 tbsp cajun seasoning
10 roma tomatoes, diced
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on box.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, cook until no longer pink in the middle. Stir in garlic, basil, cajun seasoning & tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are semi soft. Toss with pasta & top with feta cheese.

Kung Pao Chicken - Slow Cooker Recipe

3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp dry sherry or chicken broth
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp thin sliced ginger *I used ground
1lb chicken, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
8oz can water chestnuts, drained
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp corn starch
3 cups onion & pepper, diced


Combine hoisin sauce, sherry/broth, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger & red pepper flakes in crock pot. Stir in chicken & water chestnuts. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

20 minutes before cooking time is up, mix water & corn starch in a bowl. Stir in with onions & peppers into the crock pot. Cook additional 15 mins.

Serve over rice.

4pts (not including the rice)