Quick Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup (and homemade noodles)

This is my most favorite recipe given to me by my dear friend Julie Jordan (hey Jules!) when I had just two kidlets! It is still a favorite of mine (in fact I made it just tonight!).

Quick Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 8 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or 8 cubes)
  
• 6-1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (pantry item! I saw a coupon for this in todays insert!)
  
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (pantry item - I stock up when I can get these for $.50 or less)
  
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken (I grab some chicken from the freezer that I purchased on a good sale and had already cooked in the crockpot and froze).
  
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (this seems to come on sale every few weeks)
  
• Minced fresh parsley (I never use this)
• I also love to throw in some baby carrots, or you can use peeled and sliced regular carrots. Throw them in the boiling water before you throw in your noodles.
  

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles; cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken; heat through.
• Remove from the heat; stir in the sour cream. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Yield: 10-12 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts).

If you have some extra time, you can make these super yummy and super easy homemade noodles!

Easy Homemade Noodles

• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 egg shell of milk
• 

1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 egg shell of milk

Note: this makes a small batch -double the recipe if making a large pot (I double it when making the above soup recipe) - or triple if a crowd. the milk makes the noodles so tender they melt in your mouth.

Place flour in a small bowl, making a dent in the center. Carefully the crack egg shell- put egg in the center of the flour. Use 1/2 of the egg shell you just cracked, fill it with milk and stir into the flour and egg mixture using a fork. Dough needs to be slightly sticky and form a ball, so if needed, add just a touch more milk until the right consistency.

On a well floured bread board or surface, carefully roll out the dough until very, very thin (almost paper thin). Dough will be stretchy and very tender. Using a Pizza cutter, cut the dough into thin noodles -length of your choice. It is okay if the noodles are not perfect and it is not necessary to dry the noodles.

Slowly sprinkle and stir the cut noodles into rapidly boiling chicken or beef broth mixture (see below for broth suggestions) it is important to put the noodles in this way - so they do not stick together in a lump. Turn down heat and keep broth mixture at a low boil and cook noodles until tender (approx. 1/2 hour). Stir constantly while adding the noodles and frequently while cooking to prevent sticking.