Cracked Out Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my third post in my "blog comeback". I type this as Dan has bath duty with Miss P.

Wait, scratch that. I waited too long to start typing this. Bathtime is over and the daunting task of brushing her hair is about to begin. I have a feeling this post is about to be on hiatus.

I never make soup, with the exception of my shrimp and corn chowder. Dan will only eat that and thick clam chowder. And since Dan eats next to no vegetables, most soup recipes are skipped over. With this one I figured I had a shot. He'll eat celery if it's small enough and cooked soft enough. Everything else in the soup he likes, and this was meant to be a thick, cheesy soup. This is the soup version of Cracked Out Chicken Noodle Casserole. We love the casserole, so as long as the broth was thick enough there might be hope.

He loved it. Well, WE loved it! The only thing I would change is that I had wide egg noodles already, so I would definitely stick with the thinner ones. The wide ones absorb so much broth, making the soup thicker than intended. The first bowl (yes, we had more than one) was great, but as the soup sits a little longer, the broth continues to thicken, so when the noodles absorb too much our last serving was pretty thick. Not that we minded, it was kind of like noodles with a cheesy sauce at that point!

But yeah, use smaller noodles. Other than the prep of chopping some chicken and veggies, I love how quick this was. Only two steps for the cooking, so I can throw everything in and walk away for 20 minutes until I have to put the noodles in. In under 10 minutes after that, it's done. And it is PACKED with flavor.

Dan ate so much of it that I don't have any to take to lunch tomorrow. Now I have to plan a lunch....

Cracked Out Chicken Noodle Soup
From Plain Chicken

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 celery stalks, sliced thin or diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 packet ranch dressing and dip mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. thin egg noodles

1. In a large stockpot, add chicken, veggies, garlic, broth, cheese soup, milk, and ranch mix. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then bring to a simmer for 20-25 minutes until vegetables soften.
2. Add the noodles and cheddar cheese and cook 5-7 minutes until noodles are cooked.
3. Serve!