Chicken and Noodles

I recently found this recipe on one of my favorite websites and knew I'd be trying it immediately.  I found I had to make some slight adjustments to her recipe but overall it turned out so wonderfully that I'll be making it several times this fall/winter.  She has this in her "comfort food" category and I would completely agree.  It makes me warm and sleepy just thinking about it.

As you can see, I did skip a couple of pictures but I'm assuming you already know how to cut up carrots and celery.  If I'm wrong - please visit the link above for the original recipe because she very thoroughly explains how to do it.
First things first - you'll need a big stock pot filled with water.  The original recipe called for 4 quarts of water which is what I used, but next time I'm going to decrease this to 3 quarts.
Place a whole cut-up fryer chicken in the water and boil for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the chicken from the pot and begin to debone it. Shred the meat as you go along and place the meat on a plate for use a little later.

Now, put the bones back into the pot and bring to a boil, then turn to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
While the bones are cooking, you will want to cut up your carrots and celery.  Onion is optional but I didn't add it.  Also, I recommend you leave the lid off the pot while the bones are cooking because you need some of the water to evaporate.  This might have been my mistake, I left it on and had to use a lot more thickener at the end. 

I found it very helpful to pre-measure the spices while the bones were cooking also.  On this plate you've got Salt, Turmeric, White Pepper, Parsley Flakes, and Ground Thyme.  FYI - at the end I ended up adding a lot more salt but I suggest you start with this and keep checking it as you go.

After 45 minutes remove the bones and discard.

Now add in your carrots and celery. Pour in the herbs and spices and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up and add the frozen egg noodles....

....and the chicken.  At this point you have a delicious Chicken Noodles Soup and if that's how you'd like to leave it, feel free.  However, you're missing out on the delicious gravy if you stop here.  Continue on if you dare.

In a separate dish mix the flour and the water until you get a smooth texture.  Pour the mixture into the soup and cook for about 5 minutes.  I ended up having to add this mixture in two additional times to get it thick enough.

One of my favorite soups for sure, the leftovers were amazing.  Definitely a winter time comfort food that I plan to make every year.

PW's Homemade Chicken and Noodles

The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 whole cut up fryer chicken
• 2 whole carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 medium whole onion, diced (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground thyme
• 2 tsp parsley flakes
• 16 oz package frozen homestyle egg noodles
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Cooking Directions

1. In a large pot, place the chicken and cover with 4 quarts of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon (or two) and remove the bones from the meat. Add the bones back to the broth and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Slightly shred the meat and set aside.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bones from the broth, be sure to look for any small bones that might be in there.
5. Add the vegetables to the broth and the seasonings and simmer for 10 more minutes.
6. Turn up the heat and add the frozen egg noodles and the chicken, cook for 8-10 more minutes.
7. Mix the flour with a little water until smooth. Add the mix to the soup and let cook for 5 minutes or until the desired thickness is reached.
8. Taste and adjust the seasonings and then serve hot.