Chicken Noodle Soup with Mashed Potatoes

So, I have not in the past done pictures with my posts. Mostly because I'm not good at presenting or photographing food. But most recipe blogs have photos of the food and so I will make an attempt. I really hope it doesn't drive all my visitors away...ha!

Have I mentioned that I love Fall? I love it when the nights get a little cooler, when you can leave your doors open and the fan on a little longer and when you can make soup to warm the soul! This soup tops the list as my one of my daughters favorite(!) meals of all time. She requests it often and praises it each time I make it. And I can't simply just make Chicken Noodle Soup anymore....I have to make mashed potatoes to go with them. In our house we put them in the bowl first and pour hot soup all over the top.

I know, it sounded strange to me at first too. This is one of those things that came from my husbands family. But trust me, it's worth trying.

Now many of you may be much experienced in the art of throwing together a "Mustgo" soup. (It's been in the fridge for a week and now it "mustgo"...ha ha!) Over the years I have become very comfortable with this type of thing. But it was not always so. There was a time when I was ALWAYS tied to a recipe. But as life gets busier, I've found flexibility is always an asset worth having. So with that in mind here's my "recipe" for chicken noodle soup.

Kristy's Chicken Noodle Soup (or Stew, depending on ingredients)

Chicken - cubed or shredded

Chicken Broth

Onions, peeled and chopped

Carrots, sliced

Celery, sliced

Potatoes, cubed or mashed

Egg Noodles, homemade (recipe below) or store bought

Salt and Pepper to taste

Other things you could add:

Green beans (fresh or frozen)

Squash, cubed

Tomatoes, chopped

OK. OK. I know there are those ought there going "GIVE ME SOME MEASUREMENTS YOU CRAZY LADY!" But honestly, when I make my soup I really just throw stuff in until it seems right. And you too can be free from the traditional recipe. Come one. Give it a try.

So your first step is usually getting the chicken started. Last night I used a combination of left over grilled boneless skinless chicken breast and what was left from a rotisserie chicken we'd had for lunch on Saturday. The grilled chicken I cut up in bit size cubes. If you have raw chicken you can boil it, grill it or bake it, then cube it. I also used the chicken off the bones of our rotisserie. This will also give your broth a nice start. Put your chicken bones in a good stock pot and cover at least half of the bones with water. Boil the bones for "a while", probably a good 20-30 minutes. I usually cover mine. The steam helps to loosen all the meat, especially if the bones aren't completely covered.

Homemade Noodles

It's usually at this point I make the noodles. You can really make these any time before you start. Homemade noodles should have a little time to dry out before you throw them in so you could even do them several hours before dinner.

For my noodles I use the following proportions: 1 egg, 1 tsp salt, 1 TBLS milk (and YES, I used almond milk in these last night...) and about 1 C of flour. For a batch of soup to feed my family (2 adults and 2 children that eat "real food") I would make a double batch of noodles.

You want to mix your egg, salt and milk together first. Then add the flour until you have the right consistency for noodles...a little sticky, like bread dough. Roll them out to desired thickness and cut. I find it easiest to roll it up, make the cuts, then unroll. Let your noodles sit out and dry for a bit before you throw them in the soup.

Meanwhile back on the stove....

When the meat is falling off the bones strain the broth from the bones. In your stock pot heat a little olive oil and saute your onions until translucent. For this batch of soup I used a whole large onion. We like onions. If you don't, I would use a little less. You could probably skip this step if you want and just throw the raw onions into the soup, but I think sauteing the onions 1 - really improves the flavor and 2 - improves the texture. It makes them softer and sweeter, less distinct.

When your onions are nice and soft, put your water you used to boil the bones in back in the stock pot. This will be the start for your broth. Add more chicken broth until you have enough for the batch you want to make. This is where you have to use your judgement. My family loves this and will eat a lot of it. So last night in addition to the broth I had from the chicken I added probably a good 6-8 more cups of broth. I like to add ready made broth because it tends to improve the flavor of the soup. You can used canned broth or chicken bouillon. I don't really have a preference. Last night I used both.

Chop your veggies and add to the soup. You want to make sure and add your crunchier veggies right away because they will take a while to get soft. Carrots are always the first thing I get in there. If you like soft green beans (and you want them in your version) they need to go in quickly as well. Pick all the useable meat off the bones once they are cool enough to handle. Add the chicken to the soup and let it boil until the veggies are desired tenderness. Add the noodles and cook for 5-10 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning and serve over a heap of your best homemade mashed potatoes.

For classic Chicken Noodle Soup stick with the onions, carrots and celery. If you want more of a Chicken Stew that's when I add the green beans and sometimes chunks of potatoes, instead of making mashed. Last night I didn't have celery, so I just left it out and it was still delicious. Just play around with it. Put in what you have and what you like. Anyway you serve it though, there's nothing like a bowl of hot Chicken Soup to let your family know you really care!

(If you REALLY want some measurements, here is about what I would put in for a small pot of soup...enough to feed 2-3 people, with maybe a bowl of leftovers: 4 C chicken broth, 1/2 onion, 2 carrots, 1-2 stalks celery and 2 potatoes. This can be a base and then you can add more stuff as you need.)

Wild Rice Soup

My house smelled divine today! I made homemade bread bowls and my homemade Wild Rice Soup to be served with in them. It was a really great dinner. My husband kept telling me over and over again how delicious it was.

I have made this soup recipe for many years and my family loves it, and I have received many compliments from others. So I decided to share this recipe with all of you. The bread bowl recipe I just made for the first time today, and can be found right here on this blog.

Wild Rice Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups half & half cream
2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken (I use canned chicken and I sometimes use 1 cup chicken and 1 cup diced ham just to change it up a little)
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat, saute onion, celery & carrots in butter until onion is transparent. Reduce heat. Blend in flour; cook & stir for 2 min. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 min. Reduce heat. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 20 min.

I really hope you enjoy this soup. Its definately one of our favorites!

My Grandma's Clam Chowder

It is FALL and that means...soup to warm up the cold afternoons. This is a really YUMMY and fairly mild recipe for clam chowder. It also happens to be very easy and really is my grandma's recipe. Enjoy!

Clam Chowder

3 - 6 oz cans of clams (I get the minced clams so the chunks are smaller...personal preference)

1 C chopped onion

1 C chopped celery

2 C diced potatoes

1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 C butter

3/4 C flour

1 qt half and half (recipe also says you can use milk, but I don't think it would be as thick...)

1 1/2 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

Place your veggies in a pan, add just the clam juice and enough water to cover them all. Simmer for 20 minutes or until they are all tender. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and salt. Cook 2 minutes on a medium heat, stirring constantly. Add half and half. Cook on medium high and stir until bubbly and very thick. (Be careful here or you'll burn the cream sauce!) Add undrained veggies and clams. Season and serve hot. This is really yummy with bread bowls...which I happen to have a GREAT recipe for. I'll try to post that tonight too if possible...

TIP: I had a busy afternoon and needed this ready by a certain time this evening. So instead of preparing it all together I chopped the veggies right after lunch and threw them in the crock pot on high with the water and clam juice. They cooked all afternoon and then it took me about 20 minutes to put the rest of the soup together later. I was then able to keep it warm in the crock pot without worrying about burning it on the stove. For me splitting it up made it a little more manageable with two smaller pieces of time to get it ready, but it did require planning ahead.

Like it? Come back and let us know!

Chicken Stew

I love homemade chicken noodle soup, but I always feel guilty putting in store bought noodles. However sometimes homemade egg noodles are just too much. Besides I like breadsticks with my soup and when you have noodles it seems like overkill on the carbs sometimes. SO, I like to make chicken stew on occasion. Tonight I did just that. It's so easy and you can really throw in whatever you like. Here's how I did mine. This made a big batch of soup and some of the proportions are approximate because my sister was helping me out. But you get the idea right?

10 C of chicken broth (I used water and chicken boullion mix)

2 large carrots sliced (mine were REALLY big)

2-3 stalks of celery, sliced

1 onion, chopped (I was out of onions, so used minced dried onions for flavor)

Green Beans (I used one can, but I much prefer frozen or fresh if I have them on hand)

3-5 potatoes, chopped to bite size pieces

2 large chicken breasts

I get the water boiling and dump everything in as I get it cut up. Just make sure the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender. My sister likes to boil her chicken before hand and shred to put in, but that's one more step I didn't want to take tonight :)

Really could not be simpler than that. I'm sure you could add any other veggies you like. It's really hearty and perfect for days like today where it was a bit windy and cool.

Low Country Beef and Rice

Tried this the other day on the daycare kids. They didn't believe they would like it...but they did! It's really yummy. It is a little different, but has enough familiar elements...you'll love it!

Low Country Beef and Rice (from Saving Dinner by LeAnne Ely)

3/4 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 stalk celery, chopped fine

1 large onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp Cajon or Creole seasoning

1 cup oats

3 cups brown rice, cooked (even if you don't normally like brown rice, use it in this...better for you and you won't be able to tell a difference if you use white rice)

3 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 11 1/2 ounce cans V-8 juice

In a skillet, over medium-high heat, cook beef, celery, onion, bell pepper, and Cajon seasoning in a skillet about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and vegetables are tender. With paper towels, blot any excess grease. Stir in oats well. Then add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to medium low. Keep uncovered and simmer about 5 minutes.

Note: I didn't have a skillet big enough that would hold all of this. I just followed the instructions, except transferred everything to a bowl and added the rice very last.

Cheddar and Soda Soup

I just use whatever veggies are on hand like broccoli or cauliflower in place of the celery and carrots, only the onion is essential. Serve with crusty bread.

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. chopped or shredded carrots

1/2 c. flour

2 tbsp corn starch

4 c. chicken stock divided

4 c. milk

1/2 tsp soda

1-3 c. cheddar cheese

Saute first four ingredients. Add chicken stock or 3 c. water and 4 bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups milk. Bring to a boil or until very hot. Combine 1 c. cold water with the flour and cornstarch. Add to hot soup while stirring constantly. Stir until thickened. Then add shredded cheese. Whisk in the soda. The soup will rise quite a bit, so turn down the heat it necessary. Makes 10-12 serving.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

OK, one more from Lara...then I'm off to make dinner and will post another tonight if it turns out good.

Chicken Noodle Soup and Breadsticks:

Dump 3 cans of chicken broth in a large pot, throw in 3 stalks of celery sliced, 3-4 big carrots that have been peeled and sliced, 1/2 of a small onion chopped (or 1 TBSP dried onion) and a chicken breast that has been cut into bite size chunks. Set that to boil for about 20 minutes till the chicken is done and the veggies are as tender as you'd like.

Dump in about 16 oz. of dry noodles (penne holds up the best for this soup). Add more water if you need to - you don't want a whole lot of liquid, just a couple of inches over the top of the noodles and stuff. Boil (stir often) till the noodles are done. Stir in 2 cans cream of chicken soup and serve.

We eat this about once a week in the fall/winter. I always mix up a batch of breadsticks to go with it.

Those are easy too - after you get the veggies and chicken boiling, put 1 1/3 cups really warm water in your mixer bowl. Add 1 TBSP yeast, 1 TBSP sugar, 1 tsp salt, and mix. Let this sit for just about a minute to get started. Then add in 3 1/4 cups flour (sometiems a bit more or less depending on the humidity - you want a soft dough that is not sticky). Mix for 10 minutes by hand or machine. (You can do this in a bosch, kitchenaide, or bread machine). Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour it onto a large jellyroll pan. Spread the dough onto the pan. You'll have to stretch and press the dough to get it as close to the edges as you can. Cut the dough into breadsticks - we do one cut across the middle and then about 7 the long way, but you can cut them however big or small you'd like. Let rise until puffy (sometimes I put them in the oven and then turn it on to pre-heat if I'm in a hurry). Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes. Brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Really good!

If you want sweet breadsticks for a treat, at the end instead of using garlic salt, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar.

From scratch tuna casserole

I really, really hate cooking with cream soups most of the time (I do have two exceptions that I can think of and I will share them later) so I make the sauce for my tuna casseroles from scratch, it is so easy and the taste is so much better.

Ingredients:

· 6 Cups medium noodles (about 8 oz.) or 2 cups elbow macaroni (about 7 oz.) (I usually use either egg noodles or small shells)

· 1 sleeve saltine crackers (I like to use whole wheat or multi-grain ones the best. most people top a tuna casserole with bread crumbs but I tried saltines once when I was out of bread crumbs and have never gone back)

· a few shakes garlic powder (optional)

· 2 Tbsp. butter, melted (for cracker topping, more if you would like)

· 1 C. chopped celery

· ½ C. chopped onion

· 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or a few shakes of powdered (optional)

· 6 Tbsp. butter

· ½ C. all purpose flour

· 1 tsp. dry mustard (optional, although it is good with it, if you don't have any leave it out)

· salt and pepper to taste

· 2 C. milk

· 2 C. chicken broth (or 2 tsp. chicken bullion dissolved in 2 cups hot water)

· 3 (6 oz) cans tuna, drained and broken up into chunks

· 1-2 cups frozen peas (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Cook noodles or macaroni according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, take your saltines and crush them inside the sleeve. Combine saltines with 2 Tbsp (or more) melted butter and a few shakes of garlic powder if you are using it.
3. Cook celery, onion and chopped garlic (if using) in the 6 Tbsp. of oil until tender. Stir in flour, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Add milk and chicken broth. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly (it should look like any good thick white sauce). Combine sauce, tuna, peas and noodles. It will look a little like there is too much sauce for the amount of noodles but it will thicken more during baking. Transfer to a 13”x9” sized pan (I use a glass pyrex one) and sprinkle top with buttered saltines.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

One Pot Meatball and Gnocchi Soup

I was really wanting soup and was browsing the net when I came across this recipe. It is so easy and very hearty. I made the meatballs with my melon baller and scooped them right into the soup. You don't need to use the red wine, you can just substitute more chicken broth. I also used Canadian bacon instead of turkey bacon because that is what I had on hand. This makes really good left overs. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil
4 pieces turkey bacon, diced
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks (with leafy parts), chopped
1/2 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, roasted
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs. fresh thyme, minced
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 C. red wine, preferably cabernet
1 lg. can diced tomatoes(with liquid)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 C. gnocchi, store-bought or hand-made
4 C. chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 C. fresh parsley, minced

meatball recipe
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. red pepper flake
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tbs. fresh thyme, minced
1/4 C. grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juiced and zested

Directions

Combine ingredients for the meatball mixture and set aside. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel, set aside. Next add the carrots, celery, onion, roasted garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme and rosemary and let cook another 5-7 minutes.

Deglaze pan with red wine and let cook for 1 minute before adding the canned tomatoes, garbanzo beans, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and begin forming meatballs and dropping them into the soup. Also add the gnocchi and let simmer for 7-10 minutes, until both meatballs and gnocchi are floating to the top. Return bacon to the soup and garnish with fresh parsley just before serving.