Easy Mac and Cheese Chicken Soup

Maybe it’s because I’m not a fan of cold sandwiches myself, but I love being able to fix my kids hot lunches.  It’s just one of the many benefits of being a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom.

But if I’m going to make a hot lunch, most days it needs to be a fairly quick one!  We eat a lot of supper leftovers, and hot sandwiches on occasion, but this soup is a great option when I want something delicious, but easy to throw together.  It’s perfect for the busy mom who needs a quick, satisfying meal for her family, whether it’s for lunch or supper!

Start by heating some olive oil and butter.

Then I add a 12-oz. bag frozen Cajun-style Mirepoix blend.  (Mirepoix is just a blend of onions, green peppers, and celery, which is good thrown in ANYTHING!)  I’m not sure if you can find this mix everywhere, but you can substitute other vegetables as well.  Just use whatever you have on hand.  Even peas and carrots can make a great alternative.

Saute the vegetables over medium heat till tender.  Then add 6 cups chicken broth.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the noodles from a 6-oz box of macaroni and cheese.  (My favorite is Annie’s Homegrown Shells and White Cheddar, but feel free to use your favorite.)  Boil the noodles for about 6 minutes.**

**Check the directions on the box and reduce the boil time by a couple of minutes.  In the case of Annie’s, the directions say 8-10 minutes, so I cook the noodles for 6.  You want your noodles to be a little firm at this point because you still have some cooking to do and if you cook them for too long, your noodles start turning to mush.  And we want Easy Mac & Cheese Chicken Soup, not Easy Mush & Cheese Chicken Soup!

Now it’s time to stir in the cheese packet from your macaroni and cheese.  Use a whisk if your cheese starts clumping together.  You’re almost done!

Add 2 cups chopped cooked chicken…

And cook and stir until heated through!  What could be simpler?

Hope you find this as easy, (and delicious!) as we do!

 

 

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Making Your Home Sing Monday, The Modest Mom Link Up, Inspiration Monday, The Art of Homemaking, Monday Musings, Inspire Me Monday, Living Proverbs 31, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Tutorial Tuesday, Inspire Me Tuesday, Homemaking Linkup, Wise Woman Linkup, The Mommy Club, Wholehearted Wednesday, A Little R & R, The Homemaking Party, Thought-Provoking Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Think Tank Thursday, Create-It Thursday, From House to Home, Growing in Grace Thursday, Faith-Filled Friday, Family Fun Friday, Weekly Wrap-Up, Show and Tell Friday, Friendship Friday, No Rules Weekend Blog Party, Inspiration Spotlight, Pretty Pintastic, Grace and Truth Link Up, Faith and Fellowship Blog Hop, Family Friendship and Faith Fridays