Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3-4 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves or garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 teaspoon of lemon juice, or the juice of about 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

10 cups of chicken stock or broth

Directions:

1. Heat the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the bay leaf, parsley, and thyme.
3. Add the chicken broth. Add the chicken meat. (For the reel I created, I threw the entire chicken into the pot, allowed the soup to simmer, and then shredded the meat). Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. (You can prepare the mashed potatoes while the soup simmers. Recipe for potatoes below).
4. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 pounds of potatoes (I prefer Russet), peeled and diced

1 Tablespoon of salt

5 Tablespoons of butter

1 cup of milk

Directions:

1. Place the diced potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water until the potatoes are completely submerged. Add 1 Tablespoon of salt to the water. Turn the stove to high and cook until the water comes to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes and until the potatoes are easy to spear with a fork and are soft through the center.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
3. Place the butter in the still-hot pan and melt. Slowly whisk in the milk.
4. I like to mash potatoes in my Kitchenaid mixer. I place them in the mixing bowl, begin to mix on low with the paddle attachment, and slowly pour in the butter and milk mixture. Be careful not to over mix! If the potatoes seem dry, add more milk.