Chicken Noodle Soup (from scratch!)

I brought this dish over to Casey & Travis' last night for dinner after work. It was fun/easy and totally from scratch! They raved of its deliciousness so I hope you enjoy :)

2 lbs. bone in skin on chicken breast

2 qt. Water

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. thyme

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper

3 cups dry noodles

Before I get started, I have to share with you that I searched the pasta aisle for literally 20 minutes just to find the right noodle. Finally, I spotted them, and "...the way you remember them" is absolutely correct. These noodles are thick and hearty and hold up well in a soup, regular egg noodles tend to break down and turn to mush. I snapped a visual so that when replicating you are sure to get the "right" noodle.

Combine chicken breast and water in a large pot, bring to a boil. Skim the scum from the top of the water with a spoon. Once scum has been removed, reduce heat and add in the vegetables and spices. Cover and cook on low for approximately 1.5 hours or until the chicken meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the chicken breasts and set aside to let cool. Meanwhile, place the dry noodles into the chicken stock and continue to cook on low. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, begin pulling the meat away from the bones, you'll find that this is extremely easy to do. Also remove any skin and cartilage that may be attached to the meat. At this point you can either shred the meat with your fingers or use a sharp knife to dice into small squares. I like the shredded chicken best, but it's up to you! Add the chicken back into the pot and your soup is complete!

The excess soup can be frozen, refrigerated or just shared with a big group - just don't forget the saltines!