Grandpa’s Old Fashioned Chicken and Homemade Noodles!

My grandpa passed away when I was just seven years-old. Some of my only (and most cherished) memories of him are standing on a chair at the kitchen counter helping him make homemade noodles. Since we were tiny little girls, my sister and I have always been the ‘noodle makers’ in the family. Every single Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner or family get-together for the past thirty years, either she or I have made the noodles. I would say that makes us experts.

Not that it’s hard  to make homemade noodles. It’s actually very simple, but people are so impressed when I tell them I make them myself. The best part is that besides the time it takes to cook the chicken, it really doesn’t take long at all to have a delicious meal on the table that tastes like it took all day to make.

Over the years I have updated grandpa’s recipe. His were delicious, but a little bland. I never get complaints when I make this dish. As a matter-of-fact, this is one of my family’s most requested fall and winter dinners!

Here are my step-by-step instructions for making this delicious one pot meal that is perfect for a chilly fall day.

Featherbee Farm

Old Fashioned Chicken and Homemade Noodles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (plus extra for rolling out dough)

3 eggs

2 Tbs. milk (if needed)

(1) 2-3 pound chicken (whole or cut up)

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 carrots

1 med. onion

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic

4 tsp. salt (divided)

2.5 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. rosemary

2 chicken bullion cubes

6 cups water

1 Tbs. flour + 1/4 cup water (optional for thickening)

Instructions:

Dump flour into medium sized bowl. Make a well in center of flour.

Add eggs to flour. With a fork, gently beat eggs  and slowly combine into flour until a dough forms (easiest to use hands once eggs are incorporated).

Dough should be stiff without being sticky.

If too dry, add milk 1 Tbs. at a time until combined and no longer sticky.

Let dough rest on board for approximately 20 minutes (or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use).

While dough is resting, rough chop carrots, onion and celery.

Add olive oil to large stock pot and turn stove on medium heat.

Add 2 cloves garlic (whole), 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1 tsp. thyme to veggie mixture.

Add vegetables and sauté until onion is translucent.

Once onions are translucent, add chicken (either cut up or whole), 6 cups water, 2 bullion cubes, 1 tsp. rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp. salt, 2 tbs. pepper

Bring pot to boil, then turn down heat to med. Cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Turn heat off and remove chicken and veggies.

While chicken is cooking, flour a cutting board and roll dough to approximately 1/8″ thick.

(It is easiest to cut dough in half and work with one half at a time.)

Use a pizza cutter to cut noodles (we like ours about med. width, but you can cut them as thick or thin as you like).

Let noodles stand on cutting board to dry while you prepare chicken.

Remove skin and bones from chicken and shred.

Remove  any fat that risen to the top of the broth and disgard.

Bring broth back to a boil (I put broth into a smaller pot at this stage but it’s not necessary).

Slowly add noodles to pot. Once all of the noodles have risen to the top, lower heat to a simmer and add chicken. Let cook 20-30 minutes until thickened.

If broth doesn’t thicken enough for your liking, mix 1 Tbs. flour to 1/4 cup water, add to mixture, quickly bring to boil and lower to simmer again. This will thicken mixture nicely.

Serve alone or over mashed potatoes.