Preparing for Flu Season + Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

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Cold and flu season is on the horizon! Prepare now while you feel well for those days when you and/or your family may be under the weather!

We’ve all been there. Your spouse has already left for work and you and/or the kids wake up sick. The last thing you want to do is pack everyone up and head to the store for supplies. After doing this one to many times last year, this year I’ve learned my lesson and this year I’m planning ahead!

I made a list of all the things I like to have on hand when we’re sick and went to the store to stock up now. I’ve set aside space in our pantry and linen closet to keep everything. Now when someone gets sick, I’ll be ready!

Here’s what I put on my list:

 

Another good thing I like to do is think of a backup plan for childcare when I’m sick and cannot take care of Emily. Line up a friend, parent or babysitter now so when this happens you don’t have to scramble to make a plan for the day. 

Trust me, I’ve been here before and it’s the last thing I wanted to do when my head was fuzzy and I couldn’t think straight!

In addition to the list above, I wanted to include my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. Of course, if it’s me who’s sick, we’re going canned soup all the way! To note: Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Noodle Soup is my favorite canned soup. 

When Emily or my husband is sick though, I like to make them this recipe. Nothing is better than some homemade soup when you’re under the weather. Served with some crusty bread, toast or crackers, this will surely help them get on the mend in no time at all! 

Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. butter (unsalted)
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup), optional
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. flour
6-7 cups chicken stock (low sodium)*
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
2 cups frozen egg noodles**
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. In a large dutch oven (or stock pot) over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the diced onion, carrots and celery and saute 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  
2. Add the flour and stir to form a thick mixture. Cook about a minute until it’s all incorporated into the veggies and then slowly pour the chicken stock and whisk until combined. 
3. Add the thyme, cooked chicken and egg noodles and bring to a boil – slightly increase heat if needed. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30  minutes until noodles are cooked through. Depending on the type of noodles you use, this cooking time may vary.  See my note below. Taste and add salt as needed. I used 1/2 tsp. 
4. Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Notes:
*Use a high-quality chicken stock here.  I prefer Kitchen Basics, which I found at Kroger on a lower shelf near all the other broths/stocks.  I’ve made this soup using a generic chicken broth and didn’t like it very much.  A good stock really makes a difference here!  Save any extra stock to use if you heat up leftovers the next day. 
** I used Reames brand of noodles, which I also found at Kroger.  

I hope you and your family don’t succumb to the weather this cold and flu season, but if you do I hope these tips and Chicken Noodle Soup recipe helps!