Southern Chicken and Noodles

This meal is warm and comforting; so pull up a chair by the fire and enjoy!

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Southern Chicken and Noodles

Best way to spend a cold day!  I have included variations for slow-cooked,  quick cooking and thick and creamy noodles.  

Course Soup, Stew

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken, Noodles, Soup, Southern, Stew

Servings 8 servings

Author Tera Bare

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• Several teaspoons of salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Thyme
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 chicken Bullion cubes or stock
• 1 package Egg Noodles which ever size you like
• water

Instructions

Slow-Cook Version

1. Remove the icky parts from the chicken (if you’re lucky, they’ll be in a bag inside the chicken or get one with the parts already removed.  Rinse the chicken and put in a large pot.  You are going to add the seasonings to the inside cavity of the chicken.  Add a generous teaspoon of salt, about 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (more or less depending on your tastes), about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and just a dash of cinnamon.  These measurements are approximates, adjust to your liking; you just want the chicken to be flavored nicely from the inside out.  Then cover chicken with water and cook on medium-high till the thickest parts are done and it’s falling apart when you move the legs.  You could also cook it in a crockpot overnight on low.
2. Once chicken is done, remove from the pot carefully and set aside to cool enough to handle.  Don’t dump out your cooking liquid, set it to the side for now. Once cool, it’s time to remove all of the yummy meat!  Pull off the skin and remove the meat, shred and set aside.  Don’t forget to make a wish with the wishbone!
3. Run the cooking liquid through a strainer or use a paper towel and a colander. This way you remove any funky stuff. It’s worth this step because the liquid adds so much flavor! (If you’re doing the creamy version, add that step now.) Add the liquid back to a pot and add enough water to cook the noodles in.  Add cream of chicken soup and bullion cubes and stir till well mixed.  Shred chicken and add as much as you like.  When water is boiling add the noodles and cook till tender. Taste and add seasonings to your liking.  I usually add more salt, and about another 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and thyme.

Quick Version (About 45 minutes):

1. You could use a rotisserie chicken or any pre-cooked chicken or:
2. Same recipe as above except use 4 chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken.  Boil chicken breasts in water with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic thyme and a dash of cinnamon.  Remove chicken breasts when cooked through and shred.  (Add creamy version step here.) Add shredded to chicken back to pot and add enough water to cook noodles.  When water is boiling add cream of chicken soup and bouillon cubes; stir well.  Add noodles and cook till tender.  Add seasonings to taste.

Thick and Creamy Version:

1. Prepare as either of the above versions, except you will need to either put cooking liquid in a bowl or use another pot.  In an empty pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of flour.  Allow to cook together for a minute or two on medium and then mix well.  Slowly add cooking liquid back into the pot using a whisk to mix thoroughly.  From here follow the rest of the recipes.  Allow this version to cook on medium until desired thickness is reached.  If it’s too thick, thin with more water.

Tips:

If you’re feeling really adventurous and have the time, try making my daughter’s homemade egg noodles instead of the store-bought ones.  They are scrumptious!

This is yummy with cornbread!  My hubby loves to eat this with a side of beets.

Sorry, I don’t have exact measurements.  I taste it while the noodles are cooking and add seasonings as they cook. I Adjust seasonings as I go but I will make a point of paying attention and make the measurements more exact.  But, that’s also the fun of cooking, adjust it to how you like it.  A well-seasoned broth makes all the difference in the taste, just don’t over salt it.

You can use any of the remaining shredded chicken for lots of things like Chicken pot pie, chicken salad, or anything that calls for shredded chicken.