Chicken Paprikash

I'd never had the Hungarian dish, Chicken Paprikash, before so I decided to try it. There are many different variations out there- green peppers, red peppers, or none? Hungarian paprika or regular? Tomato paste or crushed tomatoes? Slow cooker or stovetop?

I found a easy, basic recipe to use. I lightened it up a little by subbing olive oil for the butter or lard, and by using lite sour cream and less flour. Traditionally, this is served over spaetzle, simple homemade noodles, but I used Yoke-free egg noodles instead.

Even as I was making this I wasn't sure what to expect. The sauce tasted okay, a little bland. But all put together...we loved it! The absolutely delicious peppers and onions combined with the tender chicken gave it so much flavor. This version made a lot of extra sauce, so next time, I will either increase the chicken, onions and peppers, or decrease the sauce ingredients. I wanted an easy green veggie on the side, and since I'd seen some recipes that included peas, that's what we had. There is no question that I will be making this again!

Chicken Paprikash (adapted from Howstuffworks.com)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion

2 cups red bell pepper slices

2 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp and 1 tsp flour

3 tbsp Hungarian paprika

2 cups chicken broth

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 large chicken breasts, cut into cubes

salt and pepper, to taste

3/4 cup lite sour cream

hot cooked egg noodles (I used 1/2 a bag) or spaetzle

1.Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, red peppers and garlic; stir well. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let vegetables brown; reduce heat if necessary.

2. Stir in flour and paprika. Cook and stir until completely blended. Add chicken broth and tomato paste; stir. If heat reduced, increase heat to medium. Cook and stir until sauce comes to a boil.

3. Add chicken. Stir until mixture returns to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place sour cream in small bowl. Slowly pour 1/4 cup thickened sauce into sour cream, stirring constantly until blended. Repeat with additional 1/4 cup. Slowly pour sour cream mixture back into skillet, stirring constantly to prevent sour cream from separating. Serve immediately over hot noodles.