Cheesy Potato Soup

1 large softball size onion, chopped
6 stalks celery including the leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cans evaporated milk, regular or low fat will do
1 bag frozen hashbrowns, thawed
5+ cups lowfat or skim milk
3 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup sour cream

In a large soup pot, saute onion and celery in butter on medium heat. Add salt, pepper, parsley, & garlic powder. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the stock and evaporated milk to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Then, add the hashbrowns. Simmer for 10-15 minutes so you cook the potatoes.

Turn heat to low. Cream soups need delicate heat or they will scorch on the bottom of the pot. Add the milk and cheese to the pot. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until the cheese has incorporated, and the soup is smooth. Add more milk if you'd like it thinner.

SImmer on low for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add if necessary.

Stir in sour cream.

To serve, let cool in bowl for a few minutes. Cream soups seem extra hot when they come out of the pot! Top with green onions or bacon bits.

This soup can be made ahead. It will thicken, so add milk or stock if you need to thin it out.

Serves 12. Refrigerated leftovers reheat well on stovetop.

*I haven't tried freezing this, but I wouldn't recommend it. There's too much dairy in it, and I think it could separate or loose the proper texture upon freezing/thawing/reheating.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipes almost fills up my 8 qt stock pot. The egg noodles are sturdy and hold up to freezing. Just thaw & reheat. Better than the canned stuff!

1 large softball size onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of celery, chopped- including the greens at the top!
1 lb. carrots, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp (or more) parsley
1 tsp garlic (fresh or powder)
1/2 gallon of chicken stock
3 boneless chicken breasts (about 8oz.-1lb.)
Water to fill pot
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute onions, celery, & carrots in butter over medium until they have some caramel color and the onions start to turn translucent- about 5-8 minutes.
Add parsley & garlic.

Add stock and chicken breasts. Bring to a boil. Poach chicken breasts about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot to a cutting board or plate. Let cool until you can handle it, then use two forks to shred chicken into bite size pieces.

Add chicken back to the stock pot. Fill the pot the rest of the way with water (or more stock if you think it needs the extra flavor).

Simmer on low while you prepare noodles.

2 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt

Using your bread machine (can be done in a big mixing bowl by hand, too), add flour, eggs, & salt to the bowl with paddle attached. Set machine to "dough" setting. Run for 10 minutes. You may need to add a little more flour or a 1/2 tsp of water at a time until the dough is a smooth, slightly sticky ball. 10 minutes total ensures that the dough is mixed and kneaded the proper amount of time. After time is up, stop machine, and rest dough for 10 more minutes.

Using pasta machine, roll sheets of dough out to thickest setting. Take each sheet, roll it up, and slice 1/2" spirals. Unroll the spirals into long noodles.

Heat soup to a boil. Add pasta to the soup, breaking noodles into smaller lengths if desired. Pasta will be finished cooking in 5 minutes.  Serve immediately or portion for freezing once slightly cooled.