Cooking for my two growing boys and husband during the week can sometimes feel like a daunting task, but lately I've been figuring out how to kill two birds with one stone in the kitchen! 

Baked Chicken/Chicken Noodle Soup

I decided to pick up a pack of skin on, bone in chicken thighs at the grocery store recently and knew I wanted to bake them in the oven. I wasn't sure what kind of meal I would prepare, but the thigh has tender, juicy meat so soup seemed to be a good bet!

The first step of this dual recipe is to bake the chicken thighs and whatever veggies your family enjoys. We love carrots and potatoes in our home, so that was what I chose this time. I think adding cabbage would have been fantastic as well. I seasoned the chicken thighs and veggies with organic adobo seasoning as well as salt, pepper, evoo and a pad of butter rubbed on each breast. 

Into the oven at 350 degrees until the skin was browned and slightly crispy and the veggies were fork tender. I did not use these veggies for my soup. I set them aside to use as a fantastic side dish on a different night. 

Next, you'll want to pull the incredibly tender chicken from the bone and shred into your pot. If you want, you can bake an entire pan of chicken in this way and serve as your completed dinner. It's perfect as is. However, for this day, I wanted soup!

I tossed the tender, shredded chicken into a large pot, added water, bouillon paste, raw carrots, salt and pepper. When the carrots become tender, taste for seasoning and add your favorite soup noodles. I like to use Amish that I find in my local Harris Teeter. Boil for another 15 minutes and it's time for soup!

Baking the chicken first in this way gave the soup such a rich flavor. This is one of the best chicken noodle soups we have ever had! I urge you to give it a try. I do not really use measurements when I'm cooking so it's always hard to share exact instructions, but I also think that's part of what makes a cook, a cook. Add a little of this and a little of that and create something delicious that came from you! 

Here in North Carolina, it has been brisk. I find myself always chilled and excited at the idea of a bowl of warm soup for dinner. I'll be making this again very soon and hopefully you will give it a try as well. Happy cooking!

Blessings,