Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch over (4-quart or larger) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.

Next, add the chicken broth and potato. Give everything a quick stir, then increase heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil, without stirring, and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low partially cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Taste the soup, and add more seasonings to taste, if desired.

Add the chicken, half-and-half/milk, and noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened. Once again taste the soup and add more seasoning as desired. Serve warm.

Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, simply pour over medium heat and cook until warm. Feel free to add more chicken broth to the leftovers if it's too thick (soup thickens in the refrigerator as the noodles and potatoes soak up the liquid).

Freezing instructions: freeze soup for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, and then reheat on the stove until warm.

Slow cooker instructions: prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker and add the chicken broth and potato. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the chicken, half-and-half/milk, and noodles. Cook on low for 1 more hour.