Snow, Headache, Chicken and Noodles

The first big snow of the season has arrived (very late for Chicago), and the blustery weather in addition to the five games of pool and complimentary bottles of beer last night mean that we are cooped up with blankets, movies, and a giant headache today.

Perfect day for Chicken and Noodles.

I am very deliberate about me use of the Oxford comma, and in this case, the chicken and the noodles go together so harmoniously that they shan’t be separated by a comma.  This dish was torn out of a Country Home magazine in 2009 and, along with the rest of the 1″ thick pile of magazine recipes, had gone unmade until Friday.  Being of a full-time worker constitution, I opted for the slow-cooker directions, and it’s those that I will share with you here:

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:

• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1TB olive oil or butter
• 3 lb. Chicken (leg-thigh)
• 4 C. reduced-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 TB fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 16-oz. package egg noodles
• 1-1/2 C. frozen peas
• 2 TB lemon juice

Directions:

In a 5-6 Qt. slow cooker, place onion, celery, garlic, carrots, thyme, bay leaf, seasoning, salt and pepper.  Place chicken on top of vegetables.  Melt butter in broth, and pour over top of chicken.  Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours.  Remove chicken and bay leaf from cooker.  When cool enough to handle, remove from bones and place chopped chicken back in pot with frozen peas and lemon juice.  Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.  Stir to combine and mmmmm.