Busy Day Chicken Soup

 48 oz. Low Sodium Chicken Broth

14.5 oz. canned diced carrots (undrained)

12.5 oz. canned chunk chicken in water (undrained)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

3/4 cup Orzo Noodles or Homemade Gumboli

    1. In a Dutch Oven, pour in the chicken broth, carrots, and chunk chicken. (if you prefer fresh vegetables...go to the ***OPTIONAL START at the bottom of this page)

    2. Use a fork to break up the chicken chunks.

    3. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and parsley.

    4. Bring to a boil.

    5. Add the noodles to the soup pot and cook noodles until tender, according to directions on package.

    6. Serve hot with homemade bread and butter.

***OPTIONAL START:

If you would to like use fresh carrots, celery, and diced onions you would need to slice and dice carrots, celery, and onions. In the pot first add 1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of your choice and heat on medium. Add the diced vegetables and saute them for about 10 minutes or until celery is tender. At this point you can go to step #1 and proceed with the recipe pouring the chicken broth over the vegetables. Continue and enjoy as always, with fresh bread and butter. 

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť! 

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Quick and easy. Get the  bread and butter ready—you'll want it for dunking.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 jar (15 ounces) Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce (or 4 Cheese Alfredo Sauce)
2 cups water
1 12.5 oz. can of Chunk Chicken Breast (do not drain)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (16 ounces) potato gnocchi (or your own homemade gnocchi
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
pesto or parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large saucepot, combine the first 6 ingredients.
Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in gnocchi and spinach. Cook until gnocchi float, 3-8 minutes. 
Top each serving with your choice of 1 teaspoon pesto or 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť! 

"Chick"en Paprikas

3 Tbsp shortening
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 tsp garlic powder (just don't tell my sister Barb)
8 chicken thighs, skins removed (if you like legs, you can use 4 legs and 4 thighs)
1/2 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup sour cream 
2 Tbsp flour
A double batch of spaetzle

Day before: (your choice)
Prepare spaetzle a day ahead, drain well, and store in a covered casserole in the refrigerator. This saves you from making everything on the same day and helps the noodles to be firmer.

Day of dinner:
Melt shortening in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Add onions and celery and brown slowly.
After browning, add skinless chicken pieces, bone side down, cover with lid, and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn chicken, sprinkle the chicken pieces with the paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
Cover and cook for 10 minutes more. After this 10 minutes, add 1 cup water and the two chicken bouillon and continue to cook over medium-low heat with lid on for another 10 minutes.

* **After 10 minutes, when it comes to a boil, reduce temperature to low.***Continue cooking with lid on for an additional 35  minutes.
Remove chicken pieces to a casserole, cover and keep warm.

In a gravy shaker, add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 or 3/4 cup sour cream, and 2 Tbsp flour.
Shake well and add to liquid in pan.
Cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken slightly.
Add the prepared spaetzle and toss gently and heat through.
When hot, layer the chicken pieces right on top of spaetzle, if serving from skillet.
If serving on a very large platter, pour the very hot spaetzle in the center of the platter and arrange the chicken pieces around the edges.

Makes 4 generous servings or 8 smaller servings.

My Grandma Chick taught her daughter-in-law, my mother Anna, how to make this for my dad. It's the best "chick"en dish I've ever eaten or made.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

A “Chick” of a Stuffing

1 cup butter (2 sticks) 
6 stalks celery, chopped 
4 medium onions, chopped
3 carrots, grated fine
3 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 eggs slightly beaten 
3-4 C chicken or turkey broth   (or 4 C water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 lbs stuffing cubes

***If you would like to make this outside the bird.. scroll below and click on Annie's Classic Stuffing (Casserole Style).

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery and onion, cook until tender. Stir fry. Remove from heat and add 16 cups bread cubes. (8 whole wheat and 8 white makes a great stuffing) Add parsley, carrots, salt, and pepper. Toss and mix well. Into the 4 cups boiling water add the bouillon cubes and let them dissolve. Add the eggs to the stuffing mixture and mix thoroughly. Add water to this mixture using as much as necessary for a moist consistency. ( I usually have to use all 4 cups). This makes enough stuffing for a 16-20 lb bird. If all of the stuffing doesn't fit in the bird, you can butter a loaf pan and pack the remaining stuffing into it and bake separately for 30-35 minutes. Sometimes I pour a little extra broth over the top of the one in the loaf pan, as it has a tendency to get drier without the advantage of the turkey’s basting juices.

If you would like to just make the Casserole version of stuffing...here it is: Annie's Classic Stuffing (Casserole Style)

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

When my husband first had turkey at my house, he helped get the food ready. When it was time to remove the stuffing, my Mom stepped in to handle the chore. While the turkey was still hot, she would get a knife and slice the stuffing into her free hand and place it on a platter. My husband’s eyes were wide in amazement, since he thought she was burning herself. After so many years of doing this, we teased my mother, telling her she had no feeling in her left hand because of the hot stuffing that landed in it on Thanksgiving. But, to this day, when Duke carves our turkey, he empties the stuffing from the bird the same way my Mom does, out of respect for her natural ability to withstand heat and serve delicious slices of stuffing. And, besides, it’s my favorite part of the meal.

Wedded (Wedding) Soup

Why Wedded Soup? Wedded, because it is the marriage of my Mom's basic Chicken Soup recipe and my version of a great Wedding Soup.

Chicken Stock Ingredients:
5 quarts water
8-10 chicken thighs
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 medium whole onions, skinned
1 whole tomato
5-6 stalks celery
1 pound carrots cleaned and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup dried parsley or 1 cup fresh
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 package frozen chopped spinach

In large stock pot, put the chicken thighs with skin in the 5 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that forms on the top of water, and discard. Turn heat down to medium low and add bouillon, onion, celery and parsley flakes. Simmer on low with a lid on for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken pieces to a casserole and let cool and refrigerate to use for another recipe tomorrow.
Strain out the onions and the celery. Return liquids back to pot and add the carrots, salt, pepper and frozen spinach. Keep on low heat while you make the meatballs.

Meatball Ingredients:
3/4 pound ground pork
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix all the above ingredients. With clean, wet hands, form into 1/2 inch, bite-sized balls. Drop into the hot broth. Continue cooking for 30 minutes with lid on. Boil one bag of farvel store-bought noodles (or make your own from my gumboli recipe). (Gumboli.) Add to broth when serving.

This is my version of wedding soup that I developed on my own, using the knowledge given to me from my Mother's basic Chicken Soup recipe. I feel that if you have a great basic recipe (without a lot of fussiness), you can take it and make exquisite dishes out of it with little added bonuses.

A great meal by itself served with bread, or a great way to start a grandiose meal.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Macaroni and Cheese

2 Cups elbow macaroni
1/4 C margarine or butter
1 small onion chopped-- ---if making for children that don’t like the texture of onion, (like a few of mine),  
    add 1 1/2 tsp of onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2 Cups milk
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
8 oz cheese (I use an 8 ounce of Velveeta ---you can use American,
    cheddar, a mixture of cheddar, brick, mozzarella or whatever you have available).

Cook macaroni, according to package directions, using the least amount of cooking time.
Drain macaroni, saving 1/3 cup of the cooking water to add to cheese mixture.
Melt margarine in a large saucepan, add onion salt and pepper.
Cook over medium heat until onion is slightly tender.
Blend in flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. (About 4 minutes).
Remove from heat.
Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add cheese and reserved pasta water,  and stir until melted. Stir in the macaroni. Put all into a slightly greased 9”x9” baking dish. Bake uncovered in 375° oven for 25 minutes.

This dish is a favorite of our 2 boys, and on their birthday it would be a request for their special birthday meal. As an added treat, I cut up cooked chicken and add it to this cheesy dish. The kids love it. (Just add the chicken to the cheese sauce mixture). I know that the convenience of store bought, boxed macaroni and cheese is easily available, but you can’t match the taste of homemade. Nick and Sam will vouch for that.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!