Roast Chicken and Chicken Noodle Soup

Roast Chicken

Serves 6

One poultry plastic bag

1 Tbs flour

One thawed whole chicken

3 carrots cut into 2 inch pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 yellow onion, cut into quarters

4 tablespoons soft butter

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

½ tsp dried parsley

¼ tsp dried thyme leaves

¼ tsp dried sage

Directions: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  First, rinse and dry the bird by patting it down with a towel. (Discard towel) Using your fingers separate the skin from the breast making a pocket on the top of each breast. Shove half 2 tablespoons butter on each side.  Drizzle the olive oil over the bird and rub the oil all over the bird.  Open the bag and put the flour in the bag shaking it to get the flour all over the bag. Put the bird in the bag. . Place the veggies in the cavity of the bird (I even put some up by the neck).  Lastly mix the seasonings and sprinkle all over the top of the bird. Seal the bag and place in your roster. You will not need any water or broth (it will make the best broth for you! Bake the bird at 250 degrees for one hour and then turn it up to 350 degrees for another hour. Remove the bird and let set for 20 minutes before opening the bag and draining the juice into your sauté pan to make your gravy.  Make potatoes while the chicken rests.

Gravy

Serves 6

1 cup drippings from cooked chicken

3 Tbs flour

3 Tbs cold water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions: in a small resalable Tupperware container add the flour and water.  Secure lid and shake vigorously! Add to the boiling drippings while whisking.  When the gravy thickens use a spoon dipping it in to see if it coats the back of the spoon and then taste for salt and pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Gravy usually needs salt.)

Mash potatoes

This recipe will make enough to serve 6 Roast Chicken dinner and again for Chicken and Noodles

1 bag Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and quartered

Water (enough to cover the potatoes)

1 chicken stock (the new small concentrated ones)

2 cloves smashed garlic

1 tsp kosher salt

1 stick butter

1 container chive cream cheese

1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped finely

Directions: Bring potatoes and garlic to a boil and let boil for 30 minutes (until fork tender).  Save the water and drain into a large bowl.  Add butter and cream cheese let sit covered for 2 or 3 minutes. Once butter and cream cheese are softened use a potato masher and mash the potatoes to a creamy texture.  Top potatoes with parsley (make sure it is fresh it makes all the difference!)

Chicken Soup

Remove all the bones and skin from the remaining chicken and cut into bite size pieces

4 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1 onion, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs butter

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Potato water plus any additional 3 cups more water

1 chicken stock (the new small concentrated ones)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp fresh parsley

¼ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp dried sage

Directions for the soup: In a large hot stock pot add olive oil, butter, carrots, onions and celery. Sprinkle salt, pepper, thyme and sage then stir and let cook on medium until softened about 5 minutes. Add chicken, potato broth, water and chicken stock. Let simmer while you make your noodles.

Egg Noodles

2 cups flour

3 eggs, beaten

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper (optional based on your like or dislike of pepper)

Directions: in a large mixing bowl add flour, salt, pepper and soda stir using a whisk until all is combined. Make a well in the middle of the flour.  Add eggs and slowly incorporate the flour as you turn the bowl with your spatula. Once the eggs are incorporated use your hands to mix the dough. Once you have a bowl of dough knead the dough for a minute and then cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let it rest for 15 minutes. Using a large cutting board and some flour for dusting roll out your dough as thin as possible (they expand like crazy when added to the boiling broth!). Using a pizza cutter make strips of dough. Separate out the noodles and place on cooling racks to dry out for awhile (couple hours). This recipe will make enough for two batches of soup. You can put half the noodles on a large cookie tray and freeze the noodles then put them into a plastic bag. 

Finishing  the Chicken Noodle Soup

When your noodles have dried some and your ready to add them to the soup bring your soup to a boil and slowly add a few noodles at a time stirring as you add them so they don’t clump together.  Then bring your soup to a simmer and let the noodles cook for 30 minutes.  They will be plump and delicious! Top the soup with parsley. My family likes to have the soup over mash potatoes. So warm up any leftovers you have from lunch.  Mash potatoes also freeze well so you can use and ice cream scoop and place them on a sheet pan to freeze and then place into plastic bags.  They only take about 3-5 minutes in the microwave to warm up (depending on how many you warm at one time).