Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken 'n Noodles

Slow Cooker Chicken 'n Noodles

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 4 medium-sized
  • 5 cups chicken broth (from a 48 oz. box - *you may need that last cup of it the next day to refresh )
  • 2 Tbl. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
  • 3 - 4 large ribs celery, sliced, as you like
  • 1 large onion, chopped medium to large
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbl. finely chopped fresh parsley, optional but very good in it
  • 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • more coarse ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 Tbl. butter, cut up
  • 1 (24 oz.) bag Reames Homestyle Egg Noodles, cooked with 1 Tbl. kosher salt, and drained
  • 4 Tbl. cornstarch mixed with 4 Tbl. cold water, milk, or chilled chicken broth

Instructions

  • In large crock pot, (I use my oval one, but one a little smaller will work, too), add first 8 ingredients. Cover and turn crock pot to HIGH. Cook for 5 hours.
  • Remove chicken breasts and pull into large chunks with 2 forks. Add back to crock pot. Add parsley, more salt and pepper to taste, and butter. Cover and turn to LOW.
  • Bring a medium to large stock pot 2/3 full of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbl. kosher salt and noodles. Bring back to a boil, stir to make sure they aren't sticking together, and boil over medium-high for 20 minutes. Do not over cook.
  • Pour noodles into colander to drain. Pour chicken mixture into stock pot that noodles were in. Add butter and drained noodles, and gently fold to lightly mix. Bring to a simmer.
  • Add cornstarch slurry, fold in, and simmer for 2 minutes until sauce thickens. Fold once or twice to make sure they don't get overcooked on the bottom.
  • Serve hot with buttered mashed potatoes, a green veggie such as sweet baby peas, and homemade biscuits or bread.

    • Notes

    *If the leftover chicken 'n noodles have absorbed all of the "gravy" by the next day, and you'd like a little more and want to refresh it, simply do this:
    In a small saucepan, add 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp. of the chicken base, and 1 Tbl. butter. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to simmer. Add 1 Tbl. cold water to 1 Tbl. cornstarch in small glass, stir to mix, add to simmering broth and stir for 2 minutes. Pour over chicken and noodles and fold in. Spoon leftovers into a serving bowl and reheat in microwave. Good as new! (That's why I love those big 48 oz. boxes! Then you have plenty extra to play with!)