If you've never roasted a whole chicken, get ready to "wow" your husband!
Buy a whole chicken.
In the morning, slice a little onion and put it in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the whole chicken on top of it (after you remove the wrapping, remove the packet stuffed inside of it and give the whole chicken a little rinse in the sink).
Sprinkle the chicken with poultry seasoning. Put a few pats of butter on top of it. Pour in a little juice (1/4 cup or less). Any kind would be fine. I like apple.
Turn the crockpot on low. Let that chicken slow cook all day. Mmmm....Mmmmm.... It is so good. Chief and papooses both agree, it is one of their favorites.
Don't throw away the leftovers. We're going to use it to make Chicken Noodle Soup. Keep all of the carcass (I know, ewww!) - bones, skin... all of it. Pick any chicken off the carcass. Place it in a bowl and refrigerate or freeze to use in the soup in a later step.
Go ahead and put the carcass in a pot (all of it, it's gross but worth it). Add some carrots, onions and celery. I use five or six baby carrots, half an onion, one whole stalk of celery chopped into smaller pieces. Fill pot with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for hours (minimum of three, the longer you cook it the better it is). I cook mine all day or all night. Stirring occasionally. The smell is delightful!
Pour contents of pot into a colander (catch your broth in a large bowl under the colander) to get the bones and other "ew". Pick through the bones for any pieces of chicken you may have missed. Rinse the pot. Pour the broth threw a strainer back into the pot.
Now, you can refrigerate or freeze the broth in a freezer bag (once it's cooled) until you are ready to use it. When you are ready to make the soup, thaw the broth. I usually just plan to have roasted chicken one day and soup the next. Unless it's 100 degrees outside, then I freeze the broth for colder weather.
Bring broth to boil. Add extra wide egg noodles, however many you want. Add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer. This broth takes a good soup and makes it a great soup!
You can do this with turkey, too.
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