🍲 Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves: 6–8
Chicken: 4–5 lb whole chicken, skin-on
Total time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 whole 4–5 lb chicken, skin-on, giblets removed
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or a combination of broth and water*
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 oz egg noodles
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
• 2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

*Don't exceed your Instant Pot's max-fill line. You may need less than 8 cups with a larger chicken.

Instructions

1. Prep the chicken.
Remove the chicken from its packaging and take out any giblets from the cavity. Leave the skin on. There's no need to brown the chicken first.

2. Fill the Instant Pot.
Place the whole chicken in the pot. Add the yellow onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, dried parsley and bay leaves.

Pour in the chicken broth, making sure everything stays below the max-fill line.

Don't add the egg noodles yet.

3. Pressure cook.
Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure.

• 4 lb chicken: 24 minutes
• 4½ lb chicken: 27 minutes
• 5 lb chicken: 30 minutes

A good rule is approximately 6 minutes per pound.

When cooking finishes, allow a 15-minute natural pressure release, then carefully release any remaining pressure.

4. Remove and shred the chicken.
Carefully lift the whole chicken out and place it in a large bowl or on a cutting board. It will be very tender and may start falling apart.

Remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred or chop the chicken meat.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup.

5. Cook the noodles.
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and bring the broth to a simmer.

Add 8 oz egg noodles and cook until just tender, usually 5–8 minutes depending on the package directions. Stir occasionally.

6. Add the chicken back.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot. You don't necessarily need all of it—add however much gives you the chicken-to-broth ratio you like.

Let everything heat through for another minute or two.

7. Taste and finish.
Taste the broth and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

For a brighter, more flavorful broth, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, taste, and add another tablespoon if you'd like. Add fresh parsley.

⭐ Leftover tip

If you're making enough for leftovers, consider cooking the noodles separately instead. Put cooked noodles into each bowl and ladle the hot chicken soup over them.

That keeps the noodles from sitting in the broth overnight and turning into little broth-stealing sponges. 😄

 Texas-Style Smoked Whole Chicken

5 lb whole chicken • Texas-blend smoking wood • Butter under the skin

QUICK GUIDE

Smoker: 300°F

Estimated cook time: 2–2½ hours

Breast: 160–165°F

Thighs: 170–175°F

Rest: 10–15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole chicken, about 5 lb

• 2 tbsp salted butter + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• Neutral oil (avocado or canola), just enough for a very thin coating

TEXAS-STYLE RUB

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp coarse black pepper

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1½ tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ¼–½ tsp cayenne

• ½–1 tsp brown sugar, optional

BUTTER UNDER THE SKIN

Combine the 4 tbsp softened butter. For extra flavor, mix in a little garlic powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and, where practical, the thighs. Spread the butter directly onto the meat under the skin. Keep butter off the outside of the skin so it has a better chance to crisp.

PREPARATION

1. Remove any giblets and pat the chicken very dry, inside and out.

2. Apply the seasoned butter under the skin.

3. Lightly coat the outside skin with neutral oil, then season evenly with the Texas-style rub. Season the cavity lightly as well.

4. For the best skin and deeper seasoning, refrigerate the seasoned chicken uncovered for 4–12 hours. If cooking immediately, it will still work.

SMOKING

1. Preheat the smoker to 300°F and use your Texas-blend smoking wood.

2. Place the chicken in the smoker breast-side up. A 5 lb chicken will usually take about 2–2½ hours, but cook to temperature rather than time.

3. Begin checking the internal temperature at about 1½ hours. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and inner thigh without touching bone.

4. If the skin needs more color or crispness near the end, increase the smoker to 350–375°F for the final 15–20 minutes.

5. Remove when the breast is about 160–165°F and the thighs are about 170–175°F. Rest 10–15 minutes before carving.

KEY TIP

Don’t judge doneness by the clock alone. Chicken size, starting temperature, weather, and smoker behavior can all change the cooking time. Use a reliable meat thermometer.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

 

Instant Pot Creamy White Chicken Chili

 INGREDIENTS

- 1 teaspoon olive oil

- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 cup chopped onion

- 1½ pounds ground chicken

- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

- 1 (15.5 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 (15.5 oz) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 (15.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and chilis, drained

- ½ cup whole-kernel corn, frozen or canned

- 1 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese

- **½ cup sour cream**

- **½ cup heavy whipping cream**

- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken FlavorINGREDIENTS

  - 1 teaspoon olive oil

  - 2–3 garlic cloves, minced

  - 1 cup chopped onion

  - 1½ pounds ground chicken

  - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  - 1 (15.5 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

  - 1 (15.5 oz) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

  - 1 (15.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and chilis, drained

  - ½ cup whole-kernel corn, frozen or canned

  - 1 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese

  - **½ cup sour cream**

  - **½ cup heavy whipping cream**

  - 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Flavor

1. Sauté the aromatics

• Set the Instant Pot to Sauté.

• Add 1 teaspoon olive oil.

• Add the chopped onion and cook for 2–3 minutes.

• Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

2. Brown the chicken

• Add the 1½ pounds ground chicken.

• Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until mostly cooked through, about 5–7 minutes.

• Turn off Sauté.

3. Add the remaining ingredients
Add:

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon

• Navy beans

• Great Northern beans

• Diced tomatoes and chilis

• Corn

Give everything a good stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is stuck.

4. Pressure cook

• Close and lock the lid.

• Set the valve to Sealing.

• Select Pressure Cook/Manual → High Pressure → 8 minutes.

• When the cooking time is finished, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure.

5. Make it creamy

• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté on Low (or use the Keep Warm setting).

• Stir in the ½ cup heavy whipping cream.

• Add the 1 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, stirring until melted and smooth.

• Finally, stir in the ½ cup sour cream.

Important: Once you add the sour cream and cream, don't bring the chili to a hard boil, or the dairy can separate.

6. Taste and serve
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes to thicken.

🌽 Optional toppings

Try it with:

• Extra shredded cheese

• A dollop of sour cream

• Crushed tortilla chips

• Green onions

• Avocado

• Fresh cilantro

Tip: If the chili is thicker than you'd like, stir in a little extra chicken broth at the end.

1st Day Alone with kids

Yesterday was the first day at home with both kids alone.  Christian went back to work yesterday.  He had been home for 2 weeks and was doing everything.  Cleaning, cooking, laundry..you name it he was doing it for us.  He took care of Ashlynn and helped with Colten.  I mainly rested and pumped milk and fed Colten at night.  I did some of the feedings during the day as well but Christian did a lot of those too.  We made it through the day yesterday with only one fight between Ashlynn and I.  Ashlynn is such a Daddy's girl so it was hard on her for him to return to work.  We got out of bed around 8:30...came downstairs and I fed Colten a bottle and got Ashlynn a bowl of cereal.  After Colten was fed and changed I layed him down in the pack n play while he slept.  I got Ashlynn dressed and ready for school.  Got her on the bus around 12 noon and then had to feed Colten again.  Once Christian got home I was laying on couch watching tv with him and ended up falling asleep lol.  I guess I was tired, I didn't mean to fall asleep.  Christian got Ashlynn off the bus and then we made dinner together. 

So all in all yesterday was a good day.  Today has not started off as well but I will make it a good day lol.  Ashlynn woke up around 6 or 6:30 this morning and hung on Christian all morning while he was trying to get ready for work.  She was very upset he had to leave today.  She has had an attitude all morning with me and has not listened to anything.  She won't leave Colten alone while he is sleeping.  I understand she wants to love on him but he is asleep and I would like for him to get his sleep.  Plus she is still coughing so I don't want her to pass the germs on to him.  

So this is the life of a Mom of 2 kids lol.  I do love my family!!!

Colten is here

Ok so I got off the blog for a long time lol.  I figure I will write the story of how Colten came into this world. 

At the beginning of October my BP started going up and I had protein in my urine so the doctors were monitoring that and also with having the gestational diabetes I was doing twice a week non-stress tests and once a week a ultrasound to check how much fluid I had.  I was starting to get really extreme pains in my pelvic bone whenever I would move so one of the doctor's gave me a pain pill to take daily.  I was only taking it at night.  On Oct.  8th the doctor I have been seeing the whole pregnancy asked when we wanted to do an amnio to check his lung developement.  I wasn't sure about doing one but at that point I was in so much pain I decided to overcome my fear of needles and go ahead and have the amnio.  We scheduled it for Oct. 14th with the understanding that if the results came back that his lungs were developed we would do the c-section on Oct. 15th.  I called in first thing on Oct. 15th to get results because I hadn't heard anything to know if I was suppose to go in or not for c-section.  They said the first 2 tests came back borderline so they were waiting on the 24 hr part that would come back around 9-10.  I was suppose to be at hospital at 11 for csection if it was going to happen so they said we will call you by 10 and let you know.  Christian and I decided to get gas in both our vans real quick and then come back home and wait on phone call.  While we were at gas station my phone rings and they said results came back good and wanted me to get to the hospital as soon as possible to have my c-section.  So we hurry back home and get my bags and then drop Ashlynn off at Mamaw's so she didn't get bored at the hospital...thinking she could come later to see her little brother.  We get to the hospital and get all set up.  I go in and have my csection (which took way longer to get closed up than it did the first time).  Colten Gregory was born at 12:28pm and was 8lb 11 oz and 21 in.  He was breathing really fast.  His blood sugar was 27.  So they take him to the NICU while I am still in the OR.  I go to recovery and they tell me because he is so big that is the reason for the trouble breathing.  They took me to his room in the NICU before they took me to my room where I would be staying for 4 days.  I was upset he would be away from me but I wanted him to get better so we could both come home.  They had to put him on a CPAP and had to put IV lines into his umbilical cord.  So we were not able to hold him.  I started pumping as soon as I was able to so they would have food for him whenever he was able to start eating.  The first night after Christian left to get Ashlynn and take her home I was talking to the nurse and she said she would take me up to see Colten in his room.  He was on the 2nd floor and I was on the 1st.  So I went and sat with my little man for awhile till I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.  The nurse explained everything they were doing for him.  I pumped every 2 hrs for the first few days.  I didn't sleep the first 2 days while he was in there.  I was so worried about him.  So finally on Sunday they said I could hold him just to feed him.  His CPAP had come off and he was breathing on his own.  I was so happy he was getting better.  They weren't suppose to let us hold him till the IV's came out of his umbilical cord but the nurse on duty said as long as she wrapped it up really good and I made sure it didn't pull at all I could hold him to feed him and just cuddle with him.  So that's what I did for the next 2 days.  Finally one of the IV's came out and it was ok to hold him a little more.  Then he developed jaundice really bad and had to be put under the Bili lights and also on a bili blanket so we could only hold him while we were feeding him.  The first time Ashlynn met her little brother he was hooked up to all these machines but she was in love.  While we were holding him and feeding him she would touch his head and just smile.  It made me happy she wasn't acting too upset about him being born.  The hospital discharged me on Tuesday and Colten still needed to be in the NICU so I was not leaving the hospital.  They have the parenting rooms you can stay in but only if they have some available.  i was lucky they had one so I got all my stuff moved to the other room Tuesday night before Christian left for the night.  I kept pumping and taking it to the NICU as soon as I was able to.  I spent a lot of time in the room with Colten.  On Wednesday they told us as long as he did well that night he could go home on Thursday.  Then around 11:30 Wednesday night they moved him from the 2nd floor NICU to the 1st floor NICU (which is for less critical patients).  Thursday morning I went to feed him and sat in the room holding him waiting on the doctor's to do rounds so we could find out if he could go home or not.  I waited and waited...Christian shows up with my lunch and I was starving so I decided to go eat and pump.  Of course I finish eating and am in the middle of pumping when Christian calls my phone and said the doctor's were in the room.  I got there and found out we were going home.  I was ecstatic.  We came home and Christian's mom was here to get Ashlynn off the bus and take her to gymnastics.  After her gymnastics we went to there house for dinner and then came home.  Took Colten to the doctor on friday for his first visit.  Then got the run around with Compunet because no one wanted to draw blood on a newborn.  Finally about 3pm we found one to do it.  I was not happy because I was starving, in pain, and needed to pump badly.  The doctor calls and says his Bili levels are up and he wants us to get them rechecked on Saturday.  We found a Children's that does bloodwork on weekends in Centerville to go to.  The doctor gave them his home phone number and had them call to give him the results.  He called us within about 20 minutes of us getting the bloodwork done saying the levels were going down so we didn't need to do anything else.  

So now we are home and doing good.  Colten is up to 8lb 14oz now so we don't have to wake him up at night anymore to feed him.  Thank goodness now I can get a little more sleep lol.  Last night he only woke up once to eat and then was up about 7:30 this am with a lot of gas and finally woke up to eat around 8:30.  

I am loving my new family.  It is still hard to believe I am a mommy of 2 kids now lol. 

Sort of got off the blog

So I haven't been on to post in a week or so.  I have been having a lot of pain and Colten is right in my ribs and chest.  I have been back to Labor and Delivery because of some cramps and Colten not moving much one day.  Everything is still good though.  I start my Non stress tests tomorrow so that will keep track of all his movements.  I went to see the Chiropractor a few days ago and he thinks with where I am carrying now and some other things that I will deliver in the next 2-3 weeks...I really hope to keep Colten in a bit longer but if he comes in that time I will be ready for him.  I have pretty much everything done and just need to get a few things to be completely ready for him.  I will try to get back on and update soon :)

Weekend

Well we had a great weekend for the most part.  Christian and I got a lot cleaned on Saturday and then Sunday went to my Mom's for dinner.  Well I have had 4-5 episodes where I had my panties wet and didn't think it was urine so My Mom insists I call my OB and see what they want me to do...I ended up in Labor and Delivery for a few hours.  They checked the baby's heartbeat and checked to see if I was having contractions.  I had 2 contractions the whole time we were there.  Then the doctor did 3 tests to make sure it wasn't amniotic fluid...All tests came back negative...Thank goodness.  Then he checked my cervix...it is still long and strong..another good thing.  So I got sent home at that point.  Well since I had a pelvic exam i had some spotting later that evening.  I kept an eye on it and it happened a few times overnight but then stopped.  So I am trying to take it easy a bit to make sure nothing happens...Yesterday I was so antsy for some reason..Got bored very quickly and wanted to be up doing something the whole day.  

I'm glad Ashlynn goes back to school today.  It will give me a chance for some Mommy time today :)