Turn Over the Pantry Tuesdays and Making Chicken Stock

There is a lot going on here today since I am feeling a bit better.  I finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday after a miserable weekend with my knee.  He took xrays but they didn't reveal any fractures or anything obvious and he thinks I've torn a bit of cartilage in there....so injected it with cortizone and gave me some more meds for pain.  He wants to do an MRI but I'm not getting into one of those things without some serious meds....so it's not going to happen any time soon.  I know I just need to let this thing rest and heal; and am working on some comfrey oil to make a salve.

Walking, especially up and down hills is what really tears the knee up....in my tiny kitchen there's not a lot of steps to take even when I have a lot of things going on, so one of the things I CAN do right now is cook!  After using my last quart of chicken stock during Levi's last visit, I decided I'd better get a couple of canner loads done.

First, I arrange 10# leg quarters in a large roasting pan and season with salt & pepper....and pop it into a 350º oven for about an hour.

 Meanwhile I gather the other ingredients.....celery, onions, carrots...

and of course some very fresh garlic (can you tell that it's been raining here?).....

Now for this batch I am using my largest stockpot.  It's actually a canner.  Coarsely chop the washed veggies and put them in the pot...

Add a couple of gallons of water, some herbs, and a handful of peppercorns...cover and bring to a boil....

It takes some time to get that big pot up to a boil.  Once the chicken is fully cooked, quickly remove the pieces from the pan and add the juices to the stock.  Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle I pull the fat, skin and bones from the meat....and add them to the stock.

The meat doesn't go into the stock.  I put it 2 cups at a time into packages and freeze for future use....

The stock simmers all day....until the vegetables are really mushy, then it is all carefully strained...and put into jars. 14 quarts of liquid gold in the pressure canner....

For the meal from the pantry today, I made a cheesy-smoky casserole....Remember that everything that went into this dish came out of the pantry.  Nothing came from the fridge or freezer.

The list of ingredients are:

All Purpose Flour

Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Cheese

Canned Cheese

Home Canned Smoked Sausage

Home Canned Butter

Shelf Stable Milk

Egg Noodles

Pinto Beans (the veggie side dish)

I'm not giving exact measurements or a recipe, but this is easy to put together for 4 or 40 people.  Cook the egg noodles until soft but not fully cooked, then drain.  Cut the sausage and cheese into chunks...

Use an equal amount of flour and butter and make a roux...

Add enough milk to the roux to make enough sauce to cover the pasta.  Season with pepper, salt, and garlic powder, add the cheese and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened....

Add the sausage and pour over the pasta.  Stir well and pour into a buttered casserole dish.  Top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes until brown and bubbly...

I can not even describe to you how good this stuff is....and remember it is 100% off a shelf!  The smokiness of the sausage mixes with that thick cheese sauce and with that touch of garlic in the sauce and the parm on top no one would believe how easy this is to make when they taste how yummy it is!