TOMATOES AND DUMPLINGS

Tomatoes and dumplings is an easy dish to prepare and goes great as a side dish to any meal.  My family loves this recipe.

Tomatoes and Dumplings - The Southern Lady Cooks

Table of contents

❤️WE LOVE THIS OLD-FASHIONED RECIPE

We love dishes that take us straight back to our grandmother’s kitchen and this is definitely one of those. It’s easy to make and the perfect comfort food. If you love dumplings, give this one a try!  Chicken and Dumplings are one of our favorites too. 

🍴KEY INGREDIENTS

Diced tomatoes – You are going to need 2 cups and you can use fresh tomatoes. You will need the juice too, so you wont drain them. 

Bacon and Bacon Drippings – Always a hit and makes any dish better!

Sugar – this will help the acid in the tomatoes

Dumpling Ingredients: 

Self-Rising Flour – if you don’t have any you can make your own. Learn how! 

Shortening – We use crisco and it’s what we prefer. 

SWAPS

You can use fresh tomatoes in this dish and you could use stewed tomatoes. You don’t have to use the bacon drippings but we do think it makes the dish better. 

By leaving out the bacon you will have a vegetarian dish.

🍽️HOW TO MAKE

This dish is easy to make and only a few ingredients so give it a try. It’s not going to take you a long time to make and it’s wonderful comfort food. 

PREPARATIONS

Go ahead and try your bacon, drain and set aside. Next get all the stuff ready to make your dumplings and start water boiling on the stove. 

COOKING STEPS

Step 1
Combine tomatoes, bacon drippings, water, salt, garlic powder, pepper and sugar in a pot on top of the stove. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium and cover.

Step 2 – Making the Dumplings
Cut shortening into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough boiling water slowly stirring with a spoon until flour holds together and you can make into dumplings about the size of a walnut. I just pull off a piece of the dough and roll it into a ball with my hands.

Step 3
Remove the top from pot with tomatoes and drop dumplings a few at a time into boiling tomatoes putting the top back on each time. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until dumplings are cooked.

Step 4
I usually get about 12 dumplings when I make them. Once cooked you can sprinkle with parsley and add crumbled bacon pieces to the dish.

⭐TIP

Many people have different ways of making dumplings. We actually put together a post just for this. Learn “How to Make Dumplings” 

This will show you how to make drop dumplings like these and also flat dumplings that many others prefer. 

RECIPE VARIATIONS

If you love dumplings, definitely check out this Ham and Dumplings recipe. It’s a wonderful way to use leftover ham and enjoy a great recipe. If you love desserts, you will want to try our Amish Caramel Dumplings. This a very popular recipe

Tomatoes and Dumplings - The Southern Lady Cooks

SERVE THIS WITH

This dish can be served as a main dish or a side. If you serve it as a main dish, just add a side salad. If you make this a side dish, you can serve this with any meat dish, like our Mississippi Pot Roast, Roasted Apricot Chicken, or Salmon Patties

❓FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use lard instead of crisco?

Yes you can use lard.

Can I leave out the bacon?

Yes, you can make it without the bacon.

Can I use other spices?

Yes, you can be creative with this dish and use the spices you enjoy. 

STORING AND REHEATING

I store in a Tupperware container in the fridge and just reheat in the microwave. You can reheat on low on the stove too. 

Cathead Biscuits

Our Nannie made these biscuits every day! Many ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews.

SERVING SIZE

This dish makes about 6 servings, and you can easily double it. This dish is made with very simple ingredients and a simple recipe you can double.

Tomatoes and Dumplings

The Southern Lady Cooks

This is an old-fashioned recipe that is wonderful with fresh or canned tomatoes. This dish is fabulous comfort food!

5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients  

  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or enough fresh tomatoes peeled and mashed to make 2 cups. Do not drain canned tomatoes and use the juice with the fresh ones
  • 2 to 3 slices bacon cooked
  • 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar

Dumplings Ingredients:

  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 1 tablespoon shortening I use Crisco
  • Boiling water

Instructions 

Directions:

  • Fry the bacon, drain and set aside. Combine tomatoes, bacon drippings, water, salt, garlic powder, pepper and sugar in a pot on top of the stove. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium and cover.

Dumplings Directions:

  • Cut shortening into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough boiling water slowly stirring with a spoon until flour holds together and you can make into dumplings about the size of a walnut. I just pull off a piece of the dough and roll it into a ball with my hands. Remove top from pot with tomatoes and drop dumplings a few at a time into boiling tomatoes putting top back on each time. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until dumplings are cooked. I usually get about 12 dumplings when I make them. Once cooked you can sprinkle with parsley and add crumbled bacon pieces to the dish. Makes about 6 servings
Keyword Tomatoes and Dumplings

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