Families often have their own unique culinary traditions during the holidays. In our family, we make homemade egg noodles with chicken. This recipe, passed down through many generations, can be made on a shoestring budget to feed a large group people. It’s sort of like a thicker and creamier version of chicken noodle soup (though it contains no cream).
When I was growing up, it was an annual tradition for the women in our family to gather for a Chicken and Noodles party. It was a very social event that usually occurred during the holidays. The women would meet in the morning, make the dough and cut the noodles. As the noodle dough dried, they would go shopping at the local drugstore to check out the new Christmas decorations and displays. When they came back, the noodles would be dry and ready to cut. Then they would cook up a big batch of chicken and noodles, along with a pot of mashed potatoes to stretch out the dish. That way, there would be enough for the hungry men in the family, who would inevitably show up later in the day to feast on the finished product.
Me and my mom making homemade chicken and noodles together, December 2010
My Grandma Carolyn taught us this recipe; she learned it from her mother, who learned it from her mother, and so on as far back as we can remember. On that side of the family we descend from Swedish immigrants to Nebraska (you can learn more about my maternal ancestry here). This simple recipe has been handed down by our Swedish matriarchs, and is still beloved in our family today.
Grandma Carolyn and Great Grandma Arnold, Nebraska
We make these noodles the old fashioned way—rolling, drying, and cutting them with a knife. You can use a pasta cutting tool, if you want, but my mom prefers cutting them by hand. In her words, “I like cutting the noodles. It takes time, but that’s the point. Making chicken and noodles is all about getting together with the girls and gabbing while you cook. If you used a pasta cutter, it would go too fast. Where’s the fun in that?”
One word of warning: this is a somewhat messy project. Flour will get everywhere. Your fingers will be coated in dough. You’ll want to wear an apron.
We consider chicken and noodles the ultimate comfort food. This recipe has been a staple in my family since I was born. It’s an economical and delicious dinner option. You can stretch it even further by serving over mashed potatoes; doing this will nearly double the amount of servings. It’s a fun family-friendly cooking project, and I’m delighted to share it with you.
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Swedish Chicken and Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 6 large eggs
- 4 pounds whole chicken
- 4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped including leaves
- 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper
Optional Ingredients
- Frozen green peas
- Mashed potatoes
NOTES
Instructions
- Beat 6 eggs in a small bowl till frothy. Reserve.Sift 2 cups of flour with 1 heaping tbsp of salt into your mixing bowl. Reserve 2 more cups of flour in another bowl.
- In your mixing bowl, make a “well” in the center of the sifted flour and pour the beaten eggs in. Use a fork to mix the eggs into the flour until it is evenly moistened.
- Sift more flour into the bowl, a couple of tablespoons at a time, and continue to stir until a soft dough forms.
- When the dough gets too thick to stir, use your hands to knead. Stop adding flour when the dough holds together and is only slightly sticky to the touch (it will be soft). Let the dough rest uncovered for 15 minutes.Coat your rolling surface generously with sifted flour. Scoop up a small handful of dough from the bowl (a little more than ½ cup of dough). Dip it in the flour on the board and pat it down to flatten it.
- Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough till it’s very thin.
- Fold the rolled dough into quarters and move it to a sheet of parchment paper.Unfold it and leave it to dry.
- Repeat this process until all of the dough has been rolled out.Let the noodle dough dry for about 2 hours, flipping the dough pieces over once halfway through drying. This amount of time can vary based on the weather—if it’s hot outside, the drying may go faster. Check the dough’s texture periodically by touching it with clean fingers. The dough is ready to cut when it is dry to the touch, but not hard. If you’re in a hurry you can cut the dough when it is half-dry, but it won’t be as easy to cut or manage.
- Slice each flattened piece of dough into three long strips. Cut those strips into noodles. We usually cut them about a centimeter wide, but you can cut them thicker or thinner depending on your personal preference.
- Scoop up the noodles and scatter them on a piece of parchment paper to finish drying.Once you have cut the noodles, you can immediately proceed with making the chicken and noodles. If you’d rather store the noodles for future use, let them dry completely (this can take 24-48 hours depending on the weather). Once the noodles are totally dry, place them in an airtight container or sealing bag (reusable or disposable) bag and store them in a dark, cool place. They will last about 1 month; discard them if they start to darken or turn black.
- Rinse your whole chicken (giblets removed) and place it into a large stockpot. Cover the chicken with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Skim the foam that rises to the top. Add chopped celery, onions, and black pepper to the broth. You do not need to add any salt, the noodles contain a lot of salt so it’s best to hold off adding more at this point.
- Let the chicken simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the meat softens and begins to fall off the bone. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a roasting pan or platter. Strain the chicken broth, removing all the celery and onions. Return broth to the stockpot.If you want to cut down on fat, you can let the broth cool completely and skim the fat that collects on the surface. Pull meat from the chicken in bite-sized pieces and return it to the broth; discard bones. Bring broth back to a slow boil.
- Add noodles to the broth. Let them boil gently, stirring frequently, until tender. For an al dente texture, cook for 10-12 minutes. For a softer texture (which I prefer), cook 15-16 minutes. The noodles will soak up most of the broth and produce a thick, starchy, salty sauce.If you want to add some frozen green peas, put them in during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste the noodles when they are completely cooked and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve in bowls plain or over mashed potatoes (if you’re keeping kosher, make sure the mashed potatoes are parve). This, as my mother says, is the ultimate comfort food. Yum!
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
I am a big soup eater as was my family growing up now I am along but I will be making this wonderful looking chicken soup. I live on veggies and soups very little meat now but this will be the next one that i make (this week)
Now I have a favor to ask: Do you have a receipt for chopped chicken livers? When I moved from Maine down here to Florida I lost it and the only thing I can find in my area is in Publix is frozen and it is terrible. I was very fortunate in Maine to live right across from a Jewish Deli the Full Belly Deli and that is the first place I head to when I go to ME the Rosens made the best chopped chicken livers you could ever ask for. You can go here on face book under Full Belly Deli and join in on their site if you care to. Thank you and God Bless you I also would prefer to get the receipts on my email if possible.
betsy clarke or on facebook & myspace clarkie1941 also
Hi Betsy, yes I do have a recipe for chopped liver, here is the link.
http://theshiksa.com/blog/2010/06/07/chopped-liver/
Hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
That’s wonderful, Renee, mazel tov! I’m glad the blog is helpful. Let me know how the conversion process progresses for you.
Love this blog, I am a shiksa in the process of converting myself 🙂
Bravo Penny! I’m so happy you had a chance to try it and report back. It’s truly a favorite in our family. Serving it over mashed potatoes brings it to a whole new level of deliciousness. 🙂
Made this yesterday for dinner tonight. Not sure I got everything right the first time, but it turned out AMAZING! I gave the kids and hubby samples last night and they can’t wait to have it with mashed potatoes tonight. They’re already asking me to make it again!
Thanks so much for posting this. I have *no* Jewish recipes from my Jewish family, so I’m adopting yours. 🙂
Thank you for all the kudos!
Joshua, your message is very moving. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Limner, let me know how the veggie version turns out, I’d love to hear about it!
Bill, not only is my mom beautiful, she’s brilliant! And the most amazing mom in the world – no contest. 😉
Oops! Congratulations on your Year One! 😀
Everyone loves soup! I no longer eat chicken or meat but I make a mean mock chicken soup. I’m going to make my own noodles this year, thanks to you. I’ll going to look for the Hawayej spice blend on my next trip to the Phoenicia Market.
I learn a lot from reading your blog. Big thanks!
Wow. You’re mother is cute! Sorry Tori!
My Bubbele knew I would marry a shiksa someday and taught me to cook so I would be able to eat good jewish food and not go hungry,she was right I am now 38 I’m marrying a shiksa who is studying halacha and judaism, she may not convert but I love her. I am no longer a hassid but in a way I am because it means joyful, and I am joyful. i will never turn my back on my people like some are accusing me, and Joy makes sure of that (thats my shiksas name), she makes me observe the Holy days, and studies them and the traditions, and reminds me when they approach. Through your blog my shiksa can learn jewish cooking and maybe a little more about the love in jewish culture we are a very loving and loyal people as a whole. i appreciate what you are doing and would like to welcome you into our family though you have been family since you converted. Take Care, happy anniversary, and hashem bless.
Wow — very interesting looking! My husband’s father’s family is Swedish (our last name is Holmstrom), so want to try this before it gets warm out. Thanks so much for the detailed instructions and the pictures — a big help! I enjoy the blog very much — half my family is Jewish, but I am a practicing Catholic (the other half is Irish), so appreciate the take on the interfaith heritage. The blog is informative, entertaining and well written. Good job!
Congrats on your one year of great blogging and receipes. Never had Sweddish chicken and noodles in my life and I cant wait to try it.
Keep up the great work.
Thanks
HAPPY ONE YEAR BLOG-IVERSARY, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR RECIPES (YUMMM) AND HISTORY! ♥
Sounds YUM! I need new recipes for stove top family dinners as when the oven was being replaced the electrician smashed the glass door to smithereens! Accidentally of course! But due to the holiday season I can’t get a new one till end of Jan or thereby! My children are a bit over spag bol, curries and sausages etc (I am too a bit!), so this looks right up my alley! I’ll keep you posted! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!XXXXX
When I was a little girl, we used to come to my ganny for Sunday dinners, my mom and granny would make the home made noodles. Never made them myself after that, should try. Sounds like the recipy my family used.
Haha I was wondering if anybody would spot Marley! I let him sample a few chicken scraps as we picked the chicken clean. He inhaled them! 🙂
Uh-oh.. I see Marley eyeing the dough, LOL! Thank you! I can’t wait to try this. I have never made homemade noodles either. But I love a challenge! Thank you!
This sounds so good, I have never made noodles by hand. Thank you for sharing.
I have to make this! — It looks so yummy!
Sooo Yummy looking 🙂 Never made homemade noodles before, but your illustrations are very inspirational, thanx! Look forward to all the recipes and newsie stories. Barbara Erdman 🙂