Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

I had never tried to make my own chicken noodle soup before and I found a recipe that made it look kind of easy. Granted I was not making my own noodles, but I was doing the rest from scratch. It turned out to be very simple!




The recipe is from Everyday Food.




You need some carrots, parsnips, onions, egg noodles, plenty of salt and a chicken.




Chop all the veggies up. I really enjoy prepping veggies but if you don't you could use a mandolin or a food processor.




Ok this is pretty much a 2 step meal. Put everything in a big pot.




Cover with water and add a fistful of salt and some pepper. I am not kidding about the salt, you need a lot. Bring it to a boil and then drop the heat to a simmer. Bring another pot of water to boil and cook your egg noodles.




After about 35 minutes your chicken will be cooked. Drain your noodles and get them in a bowl.




Get the chicken out and strip off some meat if you'd like to add some to your soup. Otherwise throw it in the fridge and use it to make some delicious chicken salad or sandwiches. Taste the broth and decide if it needs more salt and pepper. I added another shot of salt to mine.




Pour the veggies and broth over the noodles and you are ready to eat. This was so easy and is the most perfect comfort food.

Rachael Ray's Bison and Portobello Mushroom Minestroganoff

I have been enjoying some hearty dishes before it gets too hot here in Arizona. This soup comes from the Rachael Ray magazine.




I knew that I could get either coworkers or my brother to eat some of this so I made the full recipe. Plus it just looked good so I knew I wouldn't mind eating leftovers.




You need some olive oil, pasta, crushed tomato, shallots or onions, broth, portobello mushrooms, bison or ground beef and carrots. You will also need some sour cream for the finished product.

Lets get cooking!




Chop up the onion and the carrots.




Clean the underside of the mushrooms.




Chop them up, they will reduce in size as they cook so don't cut them too small.




I used ground bison instead of beef because I love it and because it has a lot less fat than ground beef.




Heat some oil in a dutch oven and toss in the carrots and onion. Let them cook for about 8 minutes or until softened.




Add in the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring every once in a while.




Get the veggies out of the pan for now.




Stir in the beef or bison and give that some time on the fire. Let that cook for about 3-5 minutes until browned and season with salt and pepper.




Add in the tomatoes, broth and the cooked veggies. Stir in the pasta and bring it to a boil.




Lower the heat to medium and cover it up. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.




Grab your sour cream from the fridge when you are ready to serve.




Get the soup in the bowl and top it with a dollop of sour cream. This was delicious and I would definitely like to try some other variations with turkey burger and other types of mushrooms. I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy the spring weather!

Beer and Onion Braised Chicken Carbonnade

The last recipe I posted turned out so well I thought I'd try another recipe that used beer. This Chicken and Caramelized Onion dinner also produces some tasty leftovers so be sure to read to the end to see what I did with the extra!




The recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine.




You need some brown sugar, bay leaf, dijon mustard, vinegar, beer, onion, beef broth, butter and of course some chicken. I served this over egg noodles but it would be great over rice or potatoes also.




Slice the onions and cut off some butter. It is going to look like a ton of onions but they cook down.




I originally poured a New Belgium beer to use with this but didn't like the flavor for the food so I used Guinness. Don't worry the New Belgium got drank while I cooked. We do not abuse alcohol here by pouring it out.




You will need some allspice for the chicken.




Season the chicken with salt, pepper and the allspice.




Melt the butter in a pan.




Brown the chicken in the butter on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.




Looking good!




While the chicken browns, measure out the brown sugar.




After the chicken is browned, get it out of the pan and get your onions and sugar in there.




Give them a good stir and cover them and cook for about 10 minutes on low. Stir them every once in a while as they cook.




Don't freak out that you have so many onions. If you don't eat them all at dinner, they are great to have around to stir into pasta or to put on a burger.




Now that your onions are done, grab your chicken and get it back in the pan.




Get all of the rest of the ingredients in and bring it to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.




Uncover and cook for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. If you are serving with noodles or rice, get that cooking right now.

After everything is cooked, get it on to a plate and enjoy!




I have to admit that the onions were my favorite part of this meal. Don't get me wrong, the chicken was moist, delicious and flavored well but I just love caramelized onions.




I took the leftover chicken thigh and some of the onions and made a great sandwich. I reheated the chicken and onions and put them on a ciabatta roll and melted some monteray jack cheese over it. It was a great way to use up some leftovers.