Grandma's Chicken & Dumplings

 

Cook 1 fat hen in 1½ quarts water and salt. Cook about 3 hours. When cool, pick meat from bones and cut into small pieces. Thicken broth with 7 tablespoons flour and ¾ cups water. Mix with egg beater and season to taste. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring. Strain over chicken. Reserve 4 cups of gravy in a flat pan for dumplings. 

 

DUMPLINGS
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
1 tbsp. oil or melted shortening
1½ c. flour
2/3 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder

Sift dry ingredients into liquid and stir briskly until blended. Drop dumpling batter by teaspoons into boiling gravy. Cover and cook gently 8-10 minutes or until done. 

Death By Chicken
This chicken was given its name because you could put this chicken dish in the oven before you left for the funeral service and when you returned, it was ready, just in time for the bereaved. It is from a Southern cookbook “Being Dead is no Excuse �?The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral.�?The original recipe called for Cream of Asparagus soup but Campbell’s no longer makes that type so any cream soup will work.

6 slices uncooked bacon
10 chicken breast tenderloins
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice (I have used white as well)
1 can (10 ¾ ounce) cream of anything soup
1 cup water (I used part white wine)
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
Grating of fresh nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Sprinkling of cayenne pepper

Cover the bottom of a 9x13�?baking dish with the bacon. Put the chicken tenderloins on top of the bacon. Pour the rice evenly over the chicken. Mix one cup of water with the canned soup. To this mixture add basil, oregano, and nutmeg, and pour it over the chicken. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes.
Serves 8