Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (2024)

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Amish Wedding Foods Recipes

What foods do the Amish serve at their weddings? In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Amish weddings always feature a special traditional meal.

Amish in other areas do not necessarily have the same traditions. But if you attend an Amish wedding in Lancaster, you will be served basically the same Amish wedding food each time for lunch.

Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (1)

Traditionally they serve Amish Roast (PA Dutch turkey stuffing - commonly called roasht), mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed celery, and peas, along with buns, salads, and numerous desserts.

The food served at Amish weddings is incredibly scrumptious and delightful!

Amish Wedding Chicken Recipe

Amish Roast is simply chicken or turkey meat that has been roasted, removed from the bones, and cut into small pieces. It is then added to a big bowl of stuffing.

So you have the chicken/turkey and stuffing served together instead of separately, as most of us do for Thanksgiving. (It helps to stretch the meat so the meal is not as expensive.)

My mom used to stuff her turkey with some of the dressing before she roasted it. When the turkey was finished, she removed the stuffing and the meat and added more stuffing to make a big roaster full of Amish roast.

They typically prepare the chicken/turkey roast the day before the wedding. And then it just gets reheated before serving.

Amish Food Lancaster, PA

The Amish in the Lancaster area have some food that is unique to them.

We never ate the traditional American turkey and stuffing meal for Thanksgiving. We always ate Amish turkey roast at Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as numerous times throughout the year.

But my brother got married to an Amish girl from Holmes County, Ohio. And she never had Amish Roast until she came to our house.

So this Amish turkey stuffing recipe is unique to the Pennsylvania Amish.

Amish Weddings

I grew up as a New Order Amish, and we did not have a traditional meal that was served at every wedding.

But most of my cousins are with the Old Order Amish. So whenever we went to one of their weddings, we always got served the same Amish wedding food.

I wrote a post about the Amish wedding customs and traditions (you can follow this link to read it).

Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (2)

Amish Turkey Recipe

You can use chicken or turkey to make this Amish stuffing. My mom always used turkey for her roasht, but she was usually feeding a crowd of people and needed more meat.

The recipe I am sharing with you today asks for a whole chicken, but this is a small recipe to feed your family.

Roast a whole chicken until done. Click on this link if you need instructions on how to roast a chicken. Or you can use any cooked turkey or chicken meat. You will need about six cups of cooked meat.

When the chicken is finished roasting, set it aside to cool a bit. Then remove the meat from the bones.

If you will not be serving your chicken roast right away, go ahead and chill the meat before adding it to the stuffing. Then cut it into small bite-sized pieces.

How to Make PA Dutch Stuffing

Cut a whole loaf of bread into small bite-sized cubes. Spread your cubes onto a large baking sheet and toast them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the onion and celery by cutting them into very fine pieces or pulsing them in a blender/chopper. I use my Ninja chopper (affiliate link).

Add the egg, milk, salt, pepper, and parsley to the celery and onion. Pulse it all together to mix.

Brown the salted butter by cooking it until it appears caramel in color with brown specks. It has a wonderful nutty aroma.

Pour the celery and onion mixture over the toasted bread cubes. Pour the brown butter over the top and mix well.

Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (3)

Amish Stuffing Recipe - Amish Wedding Food Recipe

To make the Amish stuffing (Roasht), mix the stuffing and the cut-up pieces of chicken.

Place it into a greased roast pan or any baking dish. Cover and bake it for 1 1/2 hrs. or until heated through, at 250 degrees. Stir occasionally.

If it seems too dry, add a bit of hot water or chicken broth. Although, you don't want it too wet either.

Save the broth from the chicken to make gravy. Then serve the roast with gravy, mashed potatoes, and creamed celery.

Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (4)

In my opinion, Amish wedding meals offer some of the most delicious food ever. The abundance of tasty dishes at their weddings is enough to make me want to attend just for the food. 🙂

Amish Wedding Dinner Recipes

Make a complete Amish wedding meal with more of my recipes...

Creamed Celery Recipe

Creamed Peas

Creamy Amish Mashed Potatoes

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Visit my shop to purchase my cookbook

Amish Wedding Chicken Roast (Wedding Food)

Chicken or turkey roast (Roasht) is served at every Amish wedding in Lancaster County, PA. It is simply stuffing and meat mixed together. It is quite delicious with mashed potatoes and gravy.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Amish

Servings 14 people

Calories 269 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 (6 - 8 lb.) chicken about 6 cups of cooked chicken or turkey cut into small pieces
  • 1 loaf bread about 1 gal. of cubes
  • 2 c. celery, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped only about 1/4 c.
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. parsley flakes
  • 2 sticks browned butter 1/2 lb.

Instructions

  • Roast the chicken and remove the meat from the bones. Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

    1 (6 - 8 lb.) chicken

  • Cut a loaf of bread into small cubes. Place the cubes onto a large baking tray and toast them for about 20 - 25 min at 350°.

    1 loaf bread

  • Finely chop the celery and onion (either with a knife or in a chopper). Add, eggs, milk, and seasonings. Mix.

    2 c. celery, finely chopped, 1 small onion, finely chopped, 2 eggs, beaten, 1/2 c. milk, 2 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. parsley flakes

  • Melt butter and continue cooking until lightly browned.

    2 sticks browned butter

  • Pour toasted bread cubes into a large bowl, pour the celery and onion mixture and brown butter over the top. Mix. Add the chicken and mix well.

  • Place in a well-greased roast pan and cover.

  • Bake at 250° for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Stir occasionally. If it seems too dry, add a little bit of hot water or chicken broth.

Notes

This chicken roast can be prepared a day in advance. Mix it all together and refrigerate, then bake it just before serving.

But if you do not bake and serve your roast right away, make sure that the chicken is chilled properly before adding it to the stuffing. Chicken always needs to be loosely covered until chilled.

Serve the chicken roast with gravy and mashed potatoes.

*Nutrition is approximate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 750mgPotassium: 220mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 607IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Amish Roast, Amish wedding food

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Check out my YouTube channel at My Amish Heritage

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ellie

    Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (10)
    Excellent the way it is but adding some thyme and sage was excellent too!

    Reply

    • Anna

      Thank you! And I agree, those would be great additions.

      Reply

  2. Ann S Waskom

    I want to do this for about 50 homeless people but our chicken is cooked. Can we use it. Or do I have to buy raw chicken.

    Reply

    • Anna

      Using cooked chicken will be just fine.

      Reply

  3. Sandra

    I live in Lancaster County and have attended many Amish weddings, yes the meal is so delicious. If your lucky and in Lancaster while a firehall is doing a Amish wedding meal benefit you can enjoy the meal without attending a wedding.

    Reply

    • Wade

      Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (11)
      When I visit Lancaster County, I always have to make sure I stay over a Friday night. The Hometown Kitchen (18 Furnace Rd, Quarryville, PA) is an Amish owned and operated restaurant (nothing fancy) where a lot of Amish come in and take-out their meals. Friday's Special has always been "The Amish Wedding Dinner" and it is like you've died and gone to heaven. I usually order two specials. I eat one at the restaurant so that I can observe the locals coming and going. Then I take a meal back to my hotel. Did I forget to mention how wonderful their pies are? 😎

      Reply

      • Anna

        It's been awhile since I attended an Amish wedding, but I always enjoyed the food a lot!!

        Reply

      • Debra

        Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (12)
        Totally agree, this Amish Wedding meal is fantastic at the Hometown Kitchen!

        Reply

  4. Dorothy

    Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (13)
    Wonderful recipe! I am wondering if this can be frozen and if so should it be baked before freezing?

    Reply

    • Anna

      I know we used to freeze this sometimes as leftovers, so it would already have been baked. But I don't see any reason why you couldn't freeze it before baking either.

      Reply

  5. Linda Vargas

    This is wonderful. Had “The Threshers” meal in Napanee Indiana, at an Amish restaurant. Oh my gosh, their chicken and noodles were AMAZING!!! If you have the recipe, would you be able to share it? Thank you.

    Reply

    • Anna

      I have some chicken and noodles recipes. But I don't know if they are like what you had?? Did you ever try the Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie? It's made with homemade pot pie noodles. Recipe is on my blog.

      Reply

  6. Beatrice

    Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (14)
    love Amish food

    Reply

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Amish Wedding Food (Amish Wedding Chicken Roast Recipe) - Amish Heritage (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional Amish wedding meal? ›

A traditional Amish wedding meal consists of a chicken and stuffing casserole, mashed potatoes, creamed celery and more. There is the big meal at noon and also a dinner is served at the end of the day. Typically guests eat in shifts, with the newly weds and their families eating first.

What is the significance of celery at an Amish wedding? ›

You're almost guaranteed to find creamed celery at an Amish wedding, as it's a dish passed down from generation to generation. The celery isn't only one of the staple dishes of the wedding, it's also sometimes used as decoration in place of flowers.

Why do Amish have weddings on Thursday? ›

Amish weddings typically occur on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, as those are the least-busy days of the farming week. The community needs a full day to prepare and clean up for the event.

Do the Amish give wedding gifts? ›

However, since the Amish aren't too fazed about material wealth, the gifts they receive are practical and center around helping them begin their new lives together. These gifts include towels for around the house, wheelbarrows, shovels, or appliances like kettles.

What is a famous Amish dish? ›

Shoofly pie is a traditional sweet breakfast dish in Amish communities. It's made from molasses combined with water, baking soda, and flour poured into a pie shell and topped with a layer of crumb comprising flour, butter, sugar, and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

What is the most popular Amish food? ›

Traditional Amish food includes dishes like tasty roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes & gravy, seasoned vegetables, fresh bread, and homemade jam. The Amish are also known for excellent baked goods, especially pies, cookies, breads, cakes, and fry pies.

What does an Amish bride wear on her wedding day? ›

The colors vary between Amish communities. In some, brides will wear a black dress with a white cape and apron. Shades of purple or blue are also popular choices for Amish wedding dresses. In some communities, the bride can choose the color of her dress and it is worn with a white cape and apron.

What is bed courtship in Amish? ›

Traditionally, the practice of courtship involved two young adults, often betrothed, who spent the night in bed together under the parental roof to ensure compatibility and accountability. A bundling board or bundling sack may make an appearance, as it takes the form of a contraceptive for a bundling couple.

What are Amish bedroom rules? ›

Each person sleeps on their side of the bed, with a board in between them to prevent any physical contact. The couple is allowed to talk to each other during the night, but they're not allowed to touch each other.

What is the Amish wedding night consummation? ›

The ritual is often associated with music, bawdy songs and jokes. It symbolised the community's involvement in the marriage and especially in the couple's sexual intimacy, but also their marital fidelity. The consummation itself, i.e. the couple's first sexual intercourse, was not witnessed in most of Western Europe.

Do Amish bathe once a week? ›

This is because there are no bathtubs in their homes, and bathing can take up a lot of time that could be spent on other essential tasks. In summer, conservative Amish tend to bathe at least twice weekly to eliminate dirt and sweat. The women may bathe more frequently and keep the home clean as well.

What does soaking mean in Amish? ›

Soaking: Soaking is another practice related to Amish bedroom rituals. It involves two individuals, usually a couple, lying in bed together without engaging in sexual activity.

Do Amish breed with outsiders? ›

Amish Marriage. Marriage between Amish and outsiders is rare. That's because it's not allowed by Amish Law. However, should an outsider decide to convert to the Amish faith and get baptized, they'll be accepted as a member of the Amish community.

Do Amish go on honeymoons? ›

There's no 'honeymoon' for the Amish. In fact, the wedding night is spent in the home of either set of parents, and potentially several nights afterwards too. There'll be no sleeping in and lazing about the next morning, either.

What is a good gift to give Amish? ›

So while they aren't opposed to gifts, don't give lavish gifts to Amish children 'from Santa'. Board games, books, stationery sets, art supplies, or even scented candles are simple yet fantastic gifts for your Amish friends and their families. And sweets, chocolates, and other snacks are fine, too.

What are the traditions for Amish weddings? ›

The wedding ceremony starts around 8:30 in the morning and lasts 3-3.5 hours. After a sermon, the bishop takes the couple aside while the congregation sings songs. He gives the couple advice, private instruction, and his blessing. Afterward, the bride and groom give their vows at the front of the church.

What is the most common food served at weddings? ›

Generally, a typical wedding menu for a buffet might include a chicken entree, beef, pasta, multiple side dish options, salad, and dinner rolls. We recommend including options for vegan guests and those with dietary restrictions. You also can tweak the buffet options to include a favorite dish, from seafood to lamb.

What does an Amish wedding consist of? ›

There are two parts to an Amish wedding, the church service and the wedding ceremony. English friends are invited to the ceremony, not the church service. Religious ceremonies are for church members only. Traditionally, a bride wears a long-sleeved blue or purple dress along with a white apron.

Do the Amish breast feed? ›

Educated and supported Amish women to breastfeed; the breastfeeding success rate (defined as the percentage of babies still breastfeeding by six weeks of age) was 83% in the first year and 100% in the second year.

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