Usually I make my own noodles for Chicken and Noodles, but on busy days it doesn't hurt to use the convenient pre-made noodles from the store. You can use the frozen Reams brand, but I find them a little too thick for my taste. I use the No-Yokes dry egg noodles, they're very good.
The best time to make chicken and noodles is when you have a partially de-boned chicken, like a roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the store, maybe you used the rest of the meat for another meal. Anyway, take the entire chicken, bones and all, and cover with water in a large stock pot. Add about 10 baby carrots, sliced, half and onion, diced, and teaspoon of garlic, minced, one bay leaf, one stalk of celery, chopped, and one teaspoon of chicken bullion granules. Bring pot to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for a couple hours.
Much of the chicken will simply fall off the bones when cooking, but if not, use a fork to help it along. Strain your broth to remove chicken bones and skin. Reserve vegetables and chicken pieces to add to soup later. Let broth cool and place in fridge, when cooled skim off any unwanted fat. Fat = yuck! If I am not making chicken and noodles at this time, I simply return chicken and veggies to broth and freeze everything at this point.
When ready to make your soup, return broth to a large stock pot along with veggies, chicken pieces and one can of cream of chicken soup (reduced fat and sodium). When broth is good and hot and begins to boil, add your dry egg noodles. Turn heat down to medium and cook until noodles are done. Salt and pepper to your taste.
Serve soup with hot rolls, cornbread, no knead bread or if time is short some saltine crackers.
