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 I see recipes for Paprikash everywhere. Some are ridiculously complicated and some are just not very tasty. A popular version involves using condensed soup, and my husband complains that all those recipes that use mushroom soup taste the same. That's not good at all. They are also high in sodium.
My philosophy on cooking is to have fun, and work with what you have in the kitchen. If you have the right tools and the right ingredients, you can make a lot of great dishes in 15-20 minutes, without spending a lot of money on prepared foods.
My favorite timesaver when it comes to chicken recipes is using cut up frozen chicken. Tyson makes boneless, skinless, chicken tenderloins. They are seasoned with chicken broth and frozen in individual pieces. They taste as good as fresh chicken from the butcher, and they are so convenient. We buy them in 3.5 pound bags at the warehouse store (B.J.'s, Sam's Club, Costco, etc).
The other things you need are a large skillet, butter, seasonings, half-n-half, sour cream, and it's always good to have some of those gravy packets on hand (but remember they will greatly increase the sodium content of your dishes). Use what you have on hand and experiment with different ingredients.
Julianne's Chicken Paprikash
- 2 1/2 lb chicken breast tenderloins (enough to fill the bottom of your large skillet)
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T butter
- ½ cup unsalted chicken broth, water, or white wine
- 1 T flour
- ½ cup Half-n-Half, milk or broth
- 2 tsp Paprika
- Dash of Salt and Pepper to taste
- Onion and Garlic to taste
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- Egg Noodles, Dumplings or Spaetzle
Add the olive oil to skillet and load the bottom of your skillet pan with tenderloins.
Lightly brown the tenderloins in olive oil and add seasonings to taste. I like to use garlic, onions, seasoned salt, and freshly ground black pepper. My children do not like to see onions in their food, so I frequently use minced garlic and onions, rather than fresh. A little goes a long way, in this dish.
Add the broth to the pan, scraping up the tasty browned bits. Simmer for a few minutes to reduce the broth and finish cooking the chicken. Remove chicken and any remaining broth from the pan and keep warm.
Add the butter and flour to make a roux (If you are in a hurry, you can substitute your favorite dry chicken gravy packet and for the flour and use water instead of the chicken broth).
Slowly add Half-n-Half, milk or broth to make a nice gravy. Adjust the amount and thickness to your taste and the amount of chicken you made.
Add paprika and simmer on low heat until your gravy has a nice rich color. Adjust the amount of paprika to taste. You can choose sweet or Hungarian paprika, depending on your family's preference.
Remove from heat and slowly stir in sour cream, be careful avoid curdling. Return the chicken to the gravy and serve with egg noodles, dumplings, or spaetzle.
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This is the meat loaf that my paternal grandmother often served for Sunday dinner.
The fun thing about meatloaf is that you can use just about anything that you have in the cupboard, as long as you have the meat and the eggs. I substitute dried potatoes, corn flake crumbs, oatmeal or homemade bread crumbs if that is what I happen to have in the cupboard. For variety, I use various herbs and seasonings to spice it up. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Grandma's Meatloaf
- 2 lb. meatloaf mix (best with beef, pork, veal mix)
- 1 cup canned tomatoes
- 1 cup bread crumbs (seasoned are best)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Optional:
- add 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions, celery or green pepper
- spread sliced mushrooms on top of loaf
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into meatloaf pan. Bake 90 minutes or until done. Makes about 8 servings.
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