~CRACKER BARREL COPY CAT RECIPES~

CRACKER BARREL CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

Chicken and Broth

INGREDIENTS:
3 quarts water
1 3-4 pound chicken cut up
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
4-6 whole parsley leaves
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce by about one third. When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Strain the stock to remove all the vegetables and floating scum. You only want the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out. Pour 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) of the stock back into the pot (keep the leftover stock, if any, for another recipe-it can be frozen). You may also want to use a smaller pot or a large saucepan for this. Add coarsely ground pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the lemon juice, then reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.

For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 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 20-30 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 and remove the skin. Cut the chicken meat into bite-size or a little bigger than bite-size pieces and drop them into the pot. Discard the skin and bones. Continue to simmer the chicken and dumplings for another 5-10 minutes, but don't stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred and fall apart. You want big chunks of chicken in the end. When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plates and serve hot. Serve with your choice of steamed vegetables, if desired.

CRACKER BARREL HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. frozen hash browns, defrosted & drained.
1/2 cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pt. sour cream
1/2 cup peeled, chopped Vidalia or sweet type onion
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cups crushed bread crumbs or corn flakes crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F. Defrost hash browns and drain well. Combine next 7 ingredients. Mix with hash browns. Put all in a 3 qt. Casserole. Sauté bread crumbs or corn flakes lightly in butter and sprinkle on top. Cover and bake at 350 for about 40 min.

CRACKER BARREL BABY CARROTS

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs fresh baby carrots
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
Rinse carrots and put in a sauce pan, pouring enough water in pan to just cover the top of the carrots.

Cover carrots and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Turn heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes til tender when pierced with a fork.

When carrots are tender pour off half to three fourths of the water.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

CRACKER BARREL COCA-COLA CAKE

INGREDIENTS;
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup Coca-Cola®
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.Heat butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola® to boil and pour over the flour mixture. Mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and marshmallows and blend. The batter will be thin with marshmallows floating on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons Coca-Cola®
1 box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Boil first three ingredients. Remove from the heat and blend in the sugar and vanilla extract. Spread on warm cake.
Recipe source…joycesfinecooking.com