Comforting Chicken and Noodles

Chicken is one of my favorite things to eat. And mixing it with noodles and gravy for a lovely, comforting dish is one of my favorite ways to eat it. I used to grab a can of cream of chicken soup for this dish and call it good. Now I make my own homemade gravy - way better for you and so much flavor! Sure, it takes a little more effort but knowing I control the ingredients that go into the food I prepare for my family makes it well worth it.

I like that I can make this on the stove top, or if I want to get fancy, I can mix it all up and pop it into the oven with a breadcrumb topping for some crunch. Either way is delicious!

Here's what you need:

Gravy (makes 2 cups)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth (stock is usually a little richer)
1 teas parsley
1 teas garlic powder
1 teas salt
1/2 teas poultry seasoning
1/4 teas black pepper

The rest
8 oz wide noodles, cooked according to the package directions and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, making sure there are no lumps. When the mixture starts to bubble, slowly pour in the chicken stock/broth, whisking the entire time. Cook until the mixture boils, allowing it to thicken to your desired consistency. Stir in the seasonings.

Stir in the cheese and chicken, allowing the cheese to melt.

Turn off the heat and carefully add the cooked noodles. Make sure all the noodles are coated with the yummy gravy!

Now serve and enjoy this simple, tasty dish!

Oh wait, you want the fancier version? Okay, just transfer the chicken and noodles to a baking dish. Melt 2 TBSP of butter and mix with 1/2 cup dry Italian bread crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the noodles. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the topping is a little crunchy.

You can't go wrong whichever way you serve it!