Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
I am probably one of the laziest cooks ever. I love to eat but coming up with new and good recipes is hard, time consuming, and frankly boring sometimes! I find myself waiting until the last minute and looking in the pantry to see what I can create at 7pm. I would rather be outside or working on our soap business than cooking! I joked recently that I wasn't domesticated enough to be set loose in the kitchen. Unfortunately, I really like to eat and thanks to my mom (who owned and operated a successful restaurant and catering business) have high expectations regarding the food I eat! Don't get me wrong, I have as many failures as I have successes. Matt and the kids are generally pretty nice about it because they don't want to cook either, but I do have a few tips that I find useful and wanted to share.
As I said before I am a champion procrastinator so the best thing that I have ever done is to learn how to cook a whole chicken in a crock pot. One whole chicken can provide enough meat for multiple meals and this is exactly what I need for quick and easy recipes. To do this, I place a thawed whole chicken in a crockpot. Feel free to season how you would like, but most of the time I don't bother as we don't eat the skin. You could cut up some onion, rosemary, thyme, and garlic and stuff the chicken. Be sure to tie the legs shut or all of that goodness will float out while cooking. Add about 1 cup of water, place the lid on top, and cook on low for about 8 hours. The chicken's internal temperature should be about 165 degrees Fahrenheit when fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and let it cool before deboning and separating the meat for future meals. The meat could be frozen in small containers to thaw and use in the future or popped in the fridge. I take the liquids in the crockpot and strain it through a mesh strainer to remove any solids. I save this liquid and use it as chicken broth in future recipes! So now that is out of the way I hope you enjoy this quick soup for your family!
INGREDIENTS
8 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of water
1 package (24 oz.) of egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups of carrots, shredded
1/2 cup of flour
3 cups of heavy cream or half and half
2 teaspoons parsley, dried
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups celery, chopped
8 tablespoons of butter
1 pound of chicken, precooked, shredded, skinned, and boneless
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring chicken broth and water to boil.
2. Add noodles, simmer for 20 minutes stirring often. Chop all vegetables and herbs while you wait.
3. Add chopped herbs and vegetables, simmer until vegetables are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Melt butter in a small skillet, add flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add cream to the noodle mixture, and simmer. Add flour and cook until thickened. (about 2 minutes or so)
6. Add chicken, stir to incorporate and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
