Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe is perfect for using up leftover chicken. I made chicken for us one night and it turned out a little dry so we just saved it and put it in this soup the next night, it was great....

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

2 to 3 cups diced (cooked) chicken

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

5 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (this is good stuff, but don't overdo it or the flavor will be overpowering)

1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups frozen peas and carrots

1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half

4 ounces medium noodles, cooked and drained

Salt, to taste

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until onion is tender. Add the parsley, chicken, chicken broth, soups, poultry seasoning, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the frozen peas and carrots, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Stir in the cream or half-and-half, along with the cooked noodles; add salt to taste. Heat through. Serves 8.

This recipe is from http://www.southernfood.about.com/