Chicken Noodle Soup – $35 a week challenge

$2.64 total cost
serves 

4 to 6 (if using it all as soup)

1.5 to 3 hours, longer if done in a crockpot 

Chicken Stock: 

1 chicken carcass, from a 3.5lb roasted chicken (on garlic – all the roasted garlic thrown in too) 

1 meaty chicken leg quarter, browned in stock pot
(OR 1.5lb to 2lb chicken leg quarters, about 3 meaty ones) 

1 Tbsp margarine 

1 Tbsp. oil
(optional, but good)  

3 slices bacon, sliced – purchased on sale for $1.99lb (OR 1 tsp bacon fat) 

3 medium sized carrots, chopped into about 1 inch chunks 

2 onions, chopped 

1 stalk of celery, chopped 

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, cracked but still together 

1 Tbsp Kosher salt 

pepper 

6 cups water 

2 cups cooked noodles, like acini de pepe (small round noodles), or broken spaghetti 

Brown the chicken leg quarters (and bacon if using) in a dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pot, in margarine and butter, until well browned. Add vegetables and cook until onion is soft and starting to brown. Add garlic, and saute for about 1 minute more.

Add water and salt and bring pot to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer on low for about 2 hours, or until the stock has somewhat reduced. Remove chicken to a strainer over a bowl, and allow to cool until cool enough to handle (about 15 minutes – not too long or you run the risk of food poisoning). Pick meat from the bones and put into a dish. Pour any broth that has dripped from the chicken back into the stock pot. If there is a lot of chicken then put half back into the stock pot and half into the fridge for sandwiches. The carrots and celery should be okay to eat, if they weren't cut too small at the beginning. Put about 1/2 cup cooked noodles into a bowl and ladle soup over top. 

Approx. cost - 

3 chicken leg quarters – approx. $1.74 

3 carrots (10lb for $1.99 – about 40 carrots)  

$0.14
2 onions (10 lb for $1.99)  

$0.14
1 stalk celery (from wilted veggie bin – $0.49 for 8 stalks)  

$0.06
bacon, optional  

about $0.30
garlic, 2 cloves (head is $0.50, 8 cloves per head)  

$0.06
noodles – 1 cup dry – about $0.20 

Total – $2.64 to feed family of five – 2 adults, 3 young children 

Add more carrots, potatoes, celery for a larger family, more noodles 

No bacon and from a leftover roasted chicken – take away $2.04

Modified total = $0.60