Easy, greasy dinner that EVERYONE can agree on

Revised 12/7/07 ~ I had to include this for BooMama's Souptacular, too.  It's a three-ingredient recipe for cryin' out loud!  Your kindergartener could cook it for you (not that I'm recommending you cut your five-year-old loose in the kitchen or anything...it's hyperbole, people!!)

Maybe I should've titled this differently 'cause there's nothing "greasy" about this go-to meal.  The first time I had it was at a day-long winter swim meet--cold and dreary outside, the antithesis going on inside (anyone who's been a swimmer or had a swimmer knows what I mean). 

Kids have a LOT of energy when they're at a pool all day, and they burn a lot of energy swimming their events.  The mom who brought a vat of Hearty Chicken Soup fooled me into thinking she had slaved for hours cooking this substantive meal in a crock; the truth is, it's easier than Rice Krispie treats. 

Hearty Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skinned (boneless or bone in, whichever grosses you out less when you cut it up after cookin' it)
5 cups broth
16 ounce package of egg noodles
Large can Cream of Chicken soup
salt and pepper, lots of both

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

• Fill a stock pot with water and simmer the chicken 'til it's tender (the longer the bettah, at least 45 minutes).

• Remove the chicken, cool; then cut or shred it by hand into bite-size pieces.

• Be sure to reserve at least 5 cups of the broth to add back.

• Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.

• Whisk together 5 cups broth and the large can of cream of chicken soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Then, combine the noodles and chicken and heat through (or leave in a crock pot on low for hours...).
  

Get a BIG bowl and spoon and enjoy.  Cornbread on the side makes this even better!

Cook's notes: 

You'll want to have about four cups chicken and it's okay to simmer a whole bird or dark meat if that's your preference.

Pepper really makes a difference...I don't think you can have too much (if your kids have an aversion to it, use white pepper ;) ). 

Be sure to visit Rocks in My Dryer for tons of other FANTASTIC simple-ingredient, last-minute meals!  What a great idea for a themed "Works for Me Wednesday" post--this time of year I NEED easy!  Visit BooMama, too, y'all!