Monday, November 21, 2011

Homemade Chicken & Noodles

Last week I had some questions on how I make my noodles.

Over the weekend I made up a batch and froze them in preparation for Thanksgiving.



We're expecting 18 to 20 people and all of us are pretty fond of our chicken and noodles. So I needed to make a big batch.

I started with 8 large eggs. (Please pardon the scratched up bowl I use. It's seen its share of noodle dough over the years.)




Then I added some salt and pepper. Sorry, but I didn't measure those but it was about 10 turns of the grinders.


The eggs were then beaten with a fork.



A couple of cups of flour went into the eggs.


This is what the dough looked like after the 2 cups of flour were mixed in.

Then 2 more cups of flour were mixed in. The dough became fairly stiff.


I dumped the dough out onto about another 1 and a half cups of flour and kneaded it in.

I have to say here that sometimes it takes more flour than that to get a good stiff dough. I'm not sure but maybe the weather has something to do with it.


The dough was then rolled out as thin as I could get it. (I have a big table!) I use a heavy rolling pin now but years ago, before I had a rolling pin, I just used a heavy glass.


That's where the noodle cutter comes in. It's just like using a rolling pin except that it cuts through the dough. Because I can't reach all the way across the table, I cut one side, then went around to the other side and lined up the noodle cutter with the lines that had already been cut. 


Then I use a pizza cutter to cut the strips of noodles going the other way. Some people like long noodles, some like short noodles, but we like ours kind of in-between. They're probably about 3 1/2 to 4 inches long.

Tomorrow I'll cook the chicken. I do that in a pressure cooker but boiling it is also fine.

The chicken will be taken off the bone, shredded and refrigerated. The broth will be cooled and then go into the refrigerator too.

On Thursday morning, the broth will be put in a large pot along with several cans of Swanson's chicken broth - probably 6 or 8 for this size batch. The liquid will be brought to a boil and the noodles will be added in handfuls, stirring after each.

Once all the noodles are in the pot, the chicken will be added. The noodles will cook for at least a couple of hours because we like the broth to thicken.

I do stir the noodles every once in awhile while they're cooking and add more broth if needed because the noodles do absorb some of the broth.

Oh, and as they absorb the broth, they expand. That's the reason for using a big pot.

11 comments:

  1. I'm going to have to come back to this one. I need a NOODLE CUTTER and then I'm going to try it!

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  2. Thank you so much for this. My husband loves homemade noodles and I'm not very good at it. This will help alot!

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  3. Yum, yum. You are a noodle pro! Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family.

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  4. I have never tried to make noodles...gonna need to try. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. You make it look so easy! I know it must be delicious.

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  6. so...what happend to the noodles after you cut them? how are they stored?

    mountain mama

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  7. Home made chicken n noodles is a Thanksgiving favorite around our place. Yep, we have turkey, but ya gotta have chicken n noodles along with some mashed taters to put 'em on. M-m-m-m-mmm GOOD!

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  8. I will be there TO EAT, LOL, toting my naked lady bulbs...I will get them to you.
    I LOVVVEEE HOMEMADE NOODLES AND CHICKEN.
    mY GRANDMA CHOATE could make the most delicious chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes...omg...I know this is why I am fat today.
    I have made chicken and noodles but I buy those frozen noodles that do cook up nice...but I am going to try your wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
    I love your noodle cutter.
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING
    HUGS

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  9. Oh I remember my grandma making up big batches of noodles and having them hanging everywhere. I sure do miss the homemade ones.
    I will have to try your recipe. thanks
    Hugs
    Happy Thanksgiving to you

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  10. So wish I could taste your chicken and dumplings, they sound like heaven to this Philly Girl-enjoy:@)

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  11. It's that simple??? Wow! I really need to try this. We love chicken noodles. I make homemade chicken and noodles but I use store bought noodles.

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