November 2, 2026
There are certain things about growing up in the Shenandoah Valley that never quite leave you. The smell of freshly cut hay, the sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains on a clear morning, and the unmistakable aroma of something good simmering on the kitchen stove.
For many families, that something was chicken and dumplings.
It wasn’t fancy food. It didn’t come with a complicated recipe or require ingredients you couldn’t pronounce. It was simply a good, hearty meal, made with a little patience and enough to feed whoever happened to show up at the table.
And isn’t that the beauty of country cooking?
In kitchens throughout Rockingham County, recipes like chicken and dumplings have long been part of the rhythm of family life. They are the sort of meals that stretch a dollar, fill a stomach, and somehow taste even better when shared.
With November bringing cooler temperatures to the Valley, there’s no better time to bring an old favorite back to the dinner table.
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
This traditional-style recipe uses simple ingredients and rolled dumplings cooked directly in a rich chicken broth.
Servings: 6–8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken and broth:
- 1 whole chicken, approximately 3–4 pounds
- 10 cups water or enough to cover the chicken
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt, adjusted to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- ¾ cup milk, plus a little extra if needed
Directions
1. Start with the chicken.
Place the chicken in a large stockpot with the water, onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately 60 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches 165°F internally.
2. Prepare the broth.
Remove the chicken and allow it to cool enough to handle. Strain the broth, discarding the cooked vegetables, and return approximately 8 cups of broth to the pot. Add a little water if necessary.
Remove the meat from the bones, shred it into bite-sized pieces, and set it aside. Discard the skin and bones.
3. Make the dumpling dough.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Slowly stir in the milk until a soft dough forms. Add a small splash of milk if the mixture is too dry.
4. Roll and cut the dumplings.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it to approximately ⅛-inch thickness.
Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough into strips approximately 1 inch wide and 2 inches long.
5. Cook the dumplings.
Bring the reserved broth to a gentle boil. Drop the dumplings into the broth a few at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the dumplings are tender and cooked through.
6. Bring everything together.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add the butter. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring gently.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. The dumplings should have thickened the broth slightly, creating a comforting, hearty dish.
Serve hot, preferably with homemade biscuits or a slice of buttered bread.
A Few Country Kitchen Tips
Every family seems to have its own way of making chicken and dumplings.
Some prefer thick, fluffy dumplings, while others insist that the rolled, flat variety is the only proper way to make them.
Some cooks add a splash of cream for richness. Others believe a good chicken broth needs nothing more.
If the broth becomes too thick, add a little hot water or chicken stock. If it’s too thin, allow it to simmer uncovered for a few additional minutes.
And if you have leftovers, don’t be surprised if they taste even better the next day.
More Than Just a Meal
One of the loveliest things about old-fashioned cooking is that it connects generations.
A handwritten recipe card tucked into a kitchen drawer may not look particularly valuable, but to the family who treasures it, that little piece of paper can be worth more than anything in the china cabinet.
These recipes remind us of Sunday dinners, family reunions, church suppers, and the kitchens of people we wish we could visit just one more time.
Here in the Shenandoah Valley, where farming families and small communities have shaped so much of our history, preserving those traditions is a way of remembering where we came from.
So the next time the temperature drops and the mountains begin to look a little gray, consider putting a pot of chicken and dumplings on the stove.
Invite somebody over. Set an extra plate.
And if you have an old family recipe that’s been passed down for generations, don’t let it disappear.
After all, the best recipes aren’t just about what goes into the pot.
They’re about the people who gather around it.
November 2, 2026
There are certain things about growing up in the Shenandoah Valley that never quite leave you. The smell of freshly cut hay, the sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains on a clear morning, and the unmistakable aroma of something good simmering on the kitchen stove.
For many families, that something was chicken and dumplings.
It wasn’t fancy food. It didn’t come with a complicated recipe or require ingredients you couldn’t pronounce. It was simply a good, hearty meal, made with a little patience and enough to feed whoever happened to show up at the table.
And isn’t that the beauty of country cooking?
In kitchens throughout Rockingham County, recipes like chicken and dumplings have long been part of the rhythm of family life. They are the sort of meals that stretch a dollar, fill a stomach, and somehow taste even better when shared.
With November bringing cooler temperatures to the Valley, there’s no better time to bring an old favorite back to the dinner table.
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
This traditional-style recipe uses simple ingredients and rolled dumplings cooked directly in a rich chicken broth.
Servings: 6–8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken and broth:
- 1 whole chicken, approximately 3–4 pounds
- 10 cups water or enough to cover the chicken
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt, adjusted to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- ¾ cup milk, plus a little extra if needed
Directions
1. Start with the chicken.
Place the chicken in a large stockpot with the water, onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately 60 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches 165°F internally.
2. Prepare the broth.
Remove the chicken and allow it to cool enough to handle. Strain the broth, discarding the cooked vegetables, and return approximately 8 cups of broth to the pot. Add a little water if necessary.
Remove the meat from the bones, shred it into bite-sized pieces, and set it aside. Discard the skin and bones.
3. Make the dumpling dough.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Slowly stir in the milk until a soft dough forms. Add a small splash of milk if the mixture is too dry.
4. Roll and cut the dumplings.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it to approximately ⅛-inch thickness.
Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough into strips approximately 1 inch wide and 2 inches long.
5. Cook the dumplings.
Bring the reserved broth to a gentle boil. Drop the dumplings into the broth a few at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the dumplings are tender and cooked through.
6. Bring everything together.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add the butter. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring gently.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. The dumplings should have thickened the broth slightly, creating a comforting, hearty dish.
Serve hot, preferably with homemade biscuits or a slice of buttered bread.
A Few Country Kitchen Tips
Every family seems to have its own way of making chicken and dumplings.
Some prefer thick, fluffy dumplings, while others insist that the rolled, flat variety is the only proper way to make them.
Some cooks add a splash of cream for richness. Others believe a good chicken broth needs nothing more.
If the broth becomes too thick, add a little hot water or chicken stock. If it’s too thin, allow it to simmer uncovered for a few additional minutes.
And if you have leftovers, don’t be surprised if they taste even better the next day.
More Than Just a Meal
One of the loveliest things about old-fashioned cooking is that it connects generations.
A handwritten recipe card tucked into a kitchen drawer may not look particularly valuable, but to the family who treasures it, that little piece of paper can be worth more than anything in the china cabinet.
These recipes remind us of Sunday dinners, family reunions, church suppers, and the kitchens of people we wish we could visit just one more time.
Here in the Shenandoah Valley, where farming families and small communities have shaped so much of our history, preserving those traditions is a way of remembering where we came from.
So the next time the temperature drops and the mountains begin to look a little gray, consider putting a pot of chicken and dumplings on the stove.
Invite somebody over. Set an extra plate.
And if you have an old family recipe that’s been passed down for generations, don’t let it disappear.
After all, the best recipes aren’t just about what goes into the pot.
They’re about the people who gather around it.
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