Need dinner in a hurry? Chicken paprikash is delicious and

Need dinner in a hurry? Chicken paprikash is delicious and easy!

Were all looking for ways to serve economical, tasty, nutritious and easy meals to suit our fast-paced lives. This sounds like a tall order indeed. Heres one dish that meets all of those objectives. Chicken paprikash, of Hungarian fame, is one such meal.

As with so many traditional regional dishes, there are many variations of authentic chicken paprikash, passed down through the generations. Here we give you two basic recipes. First is a skillet version, on the table in 45 minutes. The second is a slow cooker adaptation, prepared in the morning and ready when you come home. You can use white or dark meat, as you prefer, interchangeably.

Here are the basic ingredients for your authentic chicken paprikash:

1 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 medium onions, according to your taste, sliced thinly
1-4 Tbls sweet Hungarian paprika
2-3 Tbls minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot paprika (optional; reduce sweet paprika by this amount)
2 teaspoons salt (add more as needed when finished)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
olive oil
2 Tbls butter (for slow cooker)
1/2 cup chicken stock (for slow cooker)
6 cups chicken stock (for skillet version)
1 pint sour cream
8 oz. wide egg noodles
1-2 Tbls flour (just 1 for the slow cooker)

Here are two variations on seasonings. Dont add both! Choose one or the other:

1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 bay leaf

(or)

Fresh dill sprigs as garnish to your finished dish.

For the skillet version, saut the chicken in olive oil until browned. Add the garlic and onions, along with just enough broth to cover the chicken. Add the sweet paprika, salt and black pepper. If you chose the ginger and bay leaf combination, stir this into the mixture now, along with the optional hot paprika. Simmer, covered, until done, approximately 30 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, boil your noodles and drain.

Remove the chicken and set aside. Using a whisk, stir in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and thicken as desired. To thin your sauce, add more broth. Make the sauce slightly thicker, as the sour cream will thin it out.

Just before serving, stir in the sour cream. Serve over hot noodles.

For the slow cooker version, set the heat to medium. Spread the onions over the bottom of the pot. Brown the chicken in a separate skillet for 5-7 minutes, just until browned. Remove the chicken to the slow cooker, over the onions. Add seasonings of your choice. If using dill, reserve for now.

Add the butter and flour to the skillet, scraping the pan to collect the browned chicken bits remaining. Add the broth, stir well and add the mixture to the slow cooker. Reduce heat to low and cook for 6-8 hours.

Cook the noodles. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream. Serve over noodles. Garnish with dill sprigs if thats your chosen seasoning option. Voila! Superior chicken paprikash!