Don's Big Recipe: Chicken and Noodles
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. (WTVD) -- Growing up in Iowa, a very local product was Reames Egg Noodles.
My mom bought them all the time and we ate them A LOT. I still love them today. They're thick and rich and have a great flavor.
So this week's recipe features those noodles (That are now available around the country. You find them in the frozen section.) with chicken and vegetables. I make them here with a few shortcuts to try and cut down on cook time, like a rotisserie chicken from the deli, pre-ground pepper, and pre-made chicken broth.
At the end of the recipe, I'll fill you in on a few variations of this. BTW, do NOT follow the amounts in the video this week. I decided to double, then triple it halfway through the shoot (rookie mistake) and the amounts will be off. Follow the amounts in the ingredients list below.
Ingredients:
8 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 Cup Heavy Cream (I don't make it all the time. You can also switch out 1/2 & 1/2)
4 T Butter
1/4 Cup Flour
1 pkg, Reames Egg Noodles, frozen
2 carrots, peeled and julienne
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 large onion (I like Vidalia, or a sweet onion) chopped or sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 T dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Lets Make It:
1. Let Rotisserie chicken cool then pick it clean, shred chicken, and set aside.
2. Bring the Chicken broth to a boil and add the Bay Leaf.
3. Add the noodles and bring back to a boil then let it boil for 20 minutes, stirring it several times or the noodles will stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the salt, parsley, pepper, thyme, carrots, onions, and celery. Bring to boil again and let it boil, over medium heat, and stir often for 10 more minutes.
5. In a separate pan, make a roux. You do this by melting the butter, adding the flour, and letting it cook and bubble over medium heat for 2 minutes.
6. Add the roux to broth and give it a good stir.
7. Add your Heavy Cream and bring to a boil again. Let it boil for 2 more minutes. (If you see the bay leaf, you can take it out and throw it away. My kids like to see who ends up with it in their bowl.)
8. Add the shredded chicken to the broth, bring it to a boil one more time, and let simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Several notes:
1. Let it cool in the bowl you serve it in. It feels like it's the temperature of lava right off the stove and you WILL burn your tongue.
2. My mom always likes to serve it over mashed potatoes. It really is amazing and hey, if you're using heavy cream, why not go all the way.
3. When I have time, I like to make my own chicken broth by boiling chicken pieces in water. You do have to let it cool though and scoop the fat off the top, but it REALLY adds to the flavor.
4. If you have a pepper grinder, fresh ground pepper kicks it up a notch, plus you might like to add more for an extra kick. You do you.
5. You may find this needs salt. The reason I keep the salt content down is because of the pre-made chicken broth. Depending on which one you use, you may have some high salt levels. Plus, we try to watch our salt intake as we get older. Yay.
6. If you can find Reames noodles, feel free to swap them out with whatever you can find. Egg noodles are pretty good. Just use the thickest noodles you can find!
I hope you like this family recipe from my mom. If you choose to double it and/or you have leftovers, my kids insist the leftovers are even better the next day. Enjoy!
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