Carcass Soup

You know that roasted chicken you bought because
1. You had no idea what to have for dinner.
2. You didn't feel like cooking.
3. If you had to cook another dinner you were going to scream.
4. Cookies are not considered a well-balanced meal.
5. Truth be told you don't even know how to cook.
6. Nobody likes what you make anyway.
7. There is nothing in the house to make.
8. You are on a diet and making dinner would ruin it. (my fav)
9. They smelled really good.
10. Your kitchen is like a restaurant that is open 24 hours a day and everyone eats at different times and likes different things and you once served 6 meals in a 2 hour period and maybe that is the reason you are getting so fat!!!!! (apparently this one is my fav)

Whoa. Easy there, girl.

Anyway, don't throw out the carcass. Make soup out of it. You can do the same with a turkey carcass only increase the ingredients. After all you're not sick of turkey yet are you? That will be another post, you lucky dogs.

Chicken Soup

Chicken carcass
12 c. water
8 chicken bullion cubes
1 T. dried minced onion or one medium onion chopped
1 t. dried dill
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch slices
2 c. frozen green beans
4 oz thick home-style egg noodles (the kind that take 20 mins. to cook)

Place chicken carcass in a large stock pot. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 mins. Remove carcass leaving the water. Turn off the heat. Set aside chicken to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, remove any chicken meat from the carcass (translation: dig and pick) and put back into pot. Add rest of ingredients and stir. Return to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 mins. until vegetables are tender and the noodles are cooked.

If your noodles take less time to cook, add the vegetables and cook for 10 mins. Then add the noodles and cook 5 mins. more.

The vegetables can be varied. Replace 4 parsnips for the green beans or 2 parsnips for 2 carrots. Or 2 parsnips for 1 c. green beans. If only using carrots, use 8. Some high level math going on here.

Now what if your partakers can see through your economical skills and use words like "foisting heinous leftovers?" Or at least think them? Entice them with dumplings.

Homemade Bisquick Mix

4 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1 c. shortening

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening and mix until blended. Use and electric mixer or your hands to do this. Can halve this recipe for use below with no left over.


Bisquick Dumplings

2 c. Bisquick Mix (half the above recipe)
2/3 c. milk

Mix both ingredients just until soft dough form. Do not over mix. Drop by spoonfuls onto boiling soup or stew. Cook uncovered on low heat for 10 mins. Cover and cook 10 mins. longer.

Adjust cooking times of soup or stew when adding dumplings. For example, in the carcass chicken soup, when all the ingredients are in the pot, bring to a simmer and add the dumplings. Cook on low for 10 mins. uncovered. Cover and cook another 10 mins. The dumplings, vegetables, and noodles will all be done at the same time.