It’s cold and flu season here in Wyoming, even though the weather had been full-on Indian summer until last night. I start making chicken stock at the first sign of a sniffle and make two to four quarts at a time. The steamy goodness of the simmering stock is a panacea, and the end result—a bowlful of chicken soup with noodles and a sprinkle of parsley on top—is worth the preparations.
When we were very young, my mom made chicken soup using Mrs. Grass’s golden egg. Seeing that egg melt into little globules of fat and flavor always seemed a miracle. Mrs. Grass’s chicken soup is still available, but the “golden egg” was discontinued in 2016 in favor of a seasoning packet.
When you make chicken soup yourself, there is no need to add a golden egg. The chicken fat, rendered into yellow schmaltz, rises to the top. You can chill the soup and remove the fat entirely to use in other dishes or discard it if you want to avoid the fat.
The entire process takes a while, but the simmering stock is therapeutic to breathe. The end result—golden stock and lots of cooked chicken—is so worth the effort.
And that cooked chicken is versatile.
One of my favorite uses of the cooked chicken is a quick Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits. It’s so easy to put together; the stock becomes a Chicken Veloute Sauce if you thicken it, and adding the cooked chicken and then homemade biscuits on top is a quick, family-pleasing meal. Usually. Kirk is three and a half now, and even though he helped make the biscuits, there was no way he would try them with the chicken and sauce. So he had a biscuit and cheese and was very happy. Iris gobbled up the Chicken Pot Pie as quickly as she could and wanted more.
Chicken Veloute Sauce
4 tablespoons butter (you can use and equal amount of chicken fat for more flavor)
4 tablespoons AP flour
4 cups chicken stock
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. With a wire whisk, stir the flour into the butter.
2. Cook for about one minute, dissolving the flour into the melted butter. Don’t let it get brown.
3. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring as you add it. When the chicken stock is thoroughly combined, bring it to a slow boil and let it boil for one minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
Add the cooked chicken to the hot sauce and place in a casserole. Top with biscuits and bake at 450º for 10 to 15 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown.
Biscuits
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 ounces butter, chilled
1½ cup milk
1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spray or grease.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together to achieve a uniform blend. Cut butter into the flour mixture, with a pastry cutter, two knives, or a food processor.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add all the milk. Stir the mixture until all the dry ingredients are moistened and dough comes away freely from sides of the bowl.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Roll or pat out dough to a ½" thickness . Cut with a lightly floured biscuit cutter.
Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with milk or melted butter. Bake at 450°F for 10–12 minutes.
For a Mexican twist, I use cooked chicken as a filling for enchiladas, and that recipe is a crowd-pleaser—again, with minimal effort. Canned enchilada sauce, store-bought corn tortillas, cooked chicken with a little bit of cream cheese or other binder, and shredded Monterey Jack or Colby cheese on top—fuss-less food for the family. Si!











Chicken Enchiladas
Makes 20 enchiladas
1 ½ pounds cooked chicken, pulled or chopped
1 cup cream cheese, yogurt, or canned refried beans (to bind the chicken)
Oil for frying the tortillas
10 corn tortillas
1 large can (28 ounces) of enchilada sauce
2-3 cups grated Colby, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375º.
Combine the chicken with whatever binder you choose and mix together.
Heat ¼ cup of oil in a cast iron or sauté pan and, when hot, add a tortilla and cook on both sides to soften so you can roll it up. Place the fried tortilla on a paper towel-lined baking tray and continue to fry up the remaining tortillas.
Prepare two pyrex casserole dishes by pouring on ½ cup of enchilada sauce. Place ¼ cup of chicken filling on each tortilla and roll up. Place into the casserole with the seam side down and put 10 filled tortillas in each pan.
Top each casserole with grated cheese and divide the remaining enchilada sauce between the two pans.
Bake, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until hot. Serve with sour cream or yogurt and additional hot sauce or salsa.
Chicken Stock
Yield: about 2 quarts of stock
3 pounds chicken on the bone
4 ounces onion, diced
2 ounces carrot, diced
2 ounces celery
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs parley
2 cloves garlic
Rinse the chicken and place in a deep, narrow stock pot. Cover with cold water until the water level is between 1 and 2 inches above the chicken. Bring to a boil over a low heat. This will take about 45 minutes or so. Reduce to a simmer and skim off any scum as it rises to the surface.
When the liquid reaches a boil, add another cup or so of cold water so more scum rises. When just a froth remains on the surface, add mirepoix (the onions, carrots, and celery), seasoning, and herbs.
Continue to simmer for an additional hour. Strain the stock through damp cheesecloth placed over a large strainer or colander and chill the stock quickly before refrigerating. Remove the fat that solidifies on the surface.