Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

The first weekend Dave and I were in Wisconsin, we were sick and our bishop's wife brought us this yummy soup.  It makes a LOT, and you'll need a huge pot.  My biggest pot wasn't big enough and I was carefully stirring so as to not make THAT big of a mess.  I didn't bother cutting it in half when I made this this week, so instead I'm putting some in the freezer for later.

You can make homemade noodles for this, or, if you're like me, I just bought the homestyle egg noodles.  I would use only half a bag if you want it soupy, or a full bag if you want it more like a stew. When I made it I used the whole bag and the first night there was enough broth for us, but for leftovers there is essentially none.

This isn't difficult, just takes some time with all the veggie chopping, simmering and noodle cooking, FYI.

5 small chicken breasts (I used 3 Sam's sized, frozen ones)

12 cups water

12 bouillon cubes

1 large onion, chopped

8 stalks celery, chopped

3 cups sliced carrots

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 cups milk (I did a combo of milk and cream, since I had cream to use up in my fridge)

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp pepper  (I think you'll need more salt and pepper afterwards)

1 tsp parsley

3/4 to 1 bag (16 oz) noodles 

Combine chicken, water, bouillon cubes, onion, celery and carrots.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove chicken and chop, then return to mixture.  Add noodles and boil until al dente.  In a saucepan melt butter, and add flour to make a roux.  Add a little water to roux then slowly add roux into chicken and vegetables, stirring constantly (mine wasn't thick like a paste, so I didn't have to thin it down; I just added it to the soup).  Add cream of chicken soup and milk.  After thickened add seasonings.