Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Served for Staff Luncheon January 2012

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

8 cups water
2 TBSP dried onion flakes
3 cubes chicken bullion
1 bay leaf
1-2 chicken breasts
1 garlic clove, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large potato, diced
1/8 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 can chicken broth

2 cups egg noodles

2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste

Boil water in a large pot.  Add chicken breasts, onion, bullion, and bay leaf.  Boil over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.  Remove and shred chicken, and set aside.

Add garlic, carrots, celery, potato and thyme to pot.  Cook until veggies are almost tender.  Add can of chicken broth and return to boil.  Add noodles and cook until desired tenderness.

Meanwhile, melt 2 TBSP butter in separate sauce-pan.  Add 1/4 cup flour.  Whisk together, adding 1/2 cup milk slowly, until smooth.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook and stir until thickened. 

When thickened, and noodles are tender, add thickening to soup pot.  Stir together. Stir in 1/4 cup cream.  Check seasonings, adjusting as needed.  If thicker soup is desired, mix chicken broth with cornstarch and add slowly to soup while stirring until desired consistency is reached.




Best Buttermilk Biscuits
These are one of our FAVORITES! Can't believe I haven't posted this one yet.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
additional flour as needed
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 450.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Grate butter over mixture on large holes of box grater.  Toss flour and butter together with your hands until combined. 

Add buttermilk and stir just until moistened, and dough starts to come into a ball. 

Remove dough to floured counter and knead 3 or 4 times, adding additional flour as needed. With floured hands, press dough into 3/4 inch rectangle.  Sprinkle additional flour on top of the dough.  Fold over onto itself in three layers (fold it like a letter).  Repeat this pressing/folding process three times.  (This creates layers in your biscuit.)

Press dough into 1/2 inch thickness and cut into biscuit shapes (or eight squares from your rectangle.)  Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned.  Brush with melted butter. 

Served with Spinach Salad and chocolate dipped strawberries.