A Moment Cherished: .Homemade Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe.

Yesterday I scoured recipes online trying to find the perfect turkey noodle soup to use my homemade stock in and leftover turkey in. I have never made turkey noodle soup before. Probably because I had never roasted a turkey before, so therefore never had leftovers. The requirements for the soup were high as Jim does not eat brothy soups (he really is not picky -there are few things he dislikes and turkey and brothy soups just happen to be two of them!). I really only found one recipe that would work, but I modified it a lot - adding ingredients and changing the methodology. The original recipe I found is here.

This is my recipe, and I must say it is delicious. It was the best turkey noodle soup I have ever had!

Homemade Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
30 oz. chicken or turkey stock
1 C. chopped celery
1 C. chopped carrots
1/2 yellow onion- chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. rosemary (heaping)
1/4 tsp. rubbed sage (heaping)
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds (heaping)
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste)
3 cups shredded turkey
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
5 ounces cream cheese
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles

Method:
1. Pour stock in large soup kettle or dutch oven, add chopped vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add salt, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage, fennel, bay leaves, celery seed, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and black pepper, and shredded turkey.

2. Place butter in a large saucepan melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and not lumpy. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until thick and creamy.

3. Carefully pour the thickened rue into the stock with the veggies, spices, and turkey. Stir and allow the soup to thicken.

4. Meanwhile cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Cook the noodles to al dente (I cooked mine for nine minutes.)

5. Drain the noodles.

6. Add the cream cheese to the soup in cubes. Cook and stir until the cream cheese is incorporated.

7. Stir in noodles.

8. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

And because I am so thankful for you readers, I am also going to share one of my tried and true easy bread machine recipes. Before I was into making wheat bread, I always made this recipe. I still make it now and again, because we all love it. When I make it, it takes me right back to my little yellow kitchen in my third apartment sans children. I love the memories that recipes evoke. It is also the closest recipe to Jim's Grandmom's famous bread. I have her actual recipe, but this recipe always tastes more like it than her actual recipe. This yields a light fluffy bread that most children really like.

Honey Buttermilk Bread

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons yeast
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water

Method:
Put all ingredients in bread machine, in order suggested by bread machine manufacturer. Choose basic or white bread and light or medium crust setting (I use light with this recipe and my machine).

Could not get easier than that, right?!

This is how Jim enjoys his bread - slathered with butter and homemade strawberry jelly or honey.

Enjoy friends! Let me know if you try these recipes. Happy Saturday. Now I am off to join my family on the floor as they play "dinosaurs". {grin} Please keep praying for Cadi she continues to have a 103 degree fever this morning, but Scotty has been fever free for two days now! He is just run down and still needing to gain back his normal amount of energy.