Recipe Rebellion

Photo by Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Southern Living

I love to cook.  I have tons of cookbooks that I try to use with good intention but more times than not,  I stray from the recipe.  It's not that I'm such a wonderful cook that I don't need a recipe, because trust me, I do.  It's just that recipes can be restrictive for a right-brained person like myself.  I'm the type of girl that believes rules are made to be broken, but that's another story for another time.  For me, a recipe is a great starting point from which you can create your own masterpiece.  There are countless southern dishes I am dying to explore, so each week, I'll try a new recipe to review and share with you!  

Growing up, I went to a small, private elementary school where they served us hot lunches from their kitchen.  I always looked forward to the days we were served Chicken and Dumplings.  It's a dish I've always thought about trying myself but have been much too intimidated by the thought of making homemade dumplings.  My husband's grandmother once said she spent an entire day perfecting her dumplings at home while her husband was away at work!  So when I found this easy recipe for Chicken and Dumplings, I knew I had to give it try.  I made this a few days ago and like most soups and stews, it's even better the next day. I added a little salt and pepper to taste and doubled the poultry seasoning.  I would recommend cutting the biscuit dough into smaller strips (1 inch squares) as they do puff up pretty large in the broth.  The broth, or gravy as some might call it, had a good flavor and consistency like it had cooked for a long time.  Overall, my sweet husband gave it an 8.5 and I give it a 9 because I think some of the picky children out there might actually like this recipe!  I'd love to know if any of you try this one in your own home.  Visit me back here and share your thoughts.