NEVER Boil Your Chicken! Mama's $10 Chicken and Dumplings Feeds Eight

Most folks start chicken and dumplings with a chicken rolling in boiling water. My mama never boiled a chicken in her life, and once the dumplings went in she got even stricter. One whole chicken, an onion, two carrots, celery and three cups of flour make a pot that feeds eight for about ten dollars, with twice the chicken you'd get from a rotisserie bird and the broth for free. 00:00 Why Mama never boiled a chicken 00:37 What the pot costs ($8.47 bird, about $10) 01:07 Mama's kitchen in Macon 01:50 Rule #4: Buy the whole bird 02:49 Rule #3: Start it cold, keep it at a smile 05:12 The stovetop germ in leftovers 06:35 The winter this pot carried us 07:42 Rule #2: Mix your dough hot 09:31 Rule #1: Mama's secret for whole dumplings 11:56 Who gets paid when we skip this 12:19 The short of it + your homework You need: 1 whole chicken (5-7 lb), 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 ribs celery, bay leaf, salt, pepper, 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 cup skimmed chicken fat (or shortening), 1 cup hot broth. Prices from walmart.com, October 2026; they vary by store. #ChickenAndDumplings #SoulFood #BerniceCooks