Just a Quick Dinner

I guess I have never put much thought into this before, but when I get back from Thanksgiving I feel like I need a break from eating.  Turns out, I am also not that interested in cooking.  I'm not sure you can blame me, or anyone else for that matter, because after eating a delicious home-cooked Thanksgiving meal it's difficult to feel inspired in the kitchen.


Nonetheless I couldn't handle takeout and wanted to get back into the kitchen.  So for tonight's quick post I leave you with a recipe for Chicken Paprikash from the Real Simple Magazine.  As a heads up, this is definitely not a traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash.  However, the flavors were good, ingredients were easily put together and the final meal was quite tasty.  


Here's my take on the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I know its a different shape than the pepper, but I liked diced onions much better)
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
•  28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 6 ounces wide egg noodles
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

• Heat the oil in a large sauce pan with sides.  Don't use anymore than the 1 tablespoon of oil or the sauce will be too oily. Season the chicken liberally with the kosher salt and black pepper.
• Cook the chicken until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
• Discard some of the drippings. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes
• Add the tomatoes.  I recommend chopping or breaking up the tomatoes before you put them into the pot.  Add the paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and bring to a boil.  I also added about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.  Be careful with this spice because you can always add more, but can never take away!
• Return the chicken to the pan and cover the chicken in the vegetable/tomato mixture and simmer, partially covered, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes
• While the chicken and veggies meld together, cook the noodles according to the package directions. You can top the chicken with sour cream, but I didn't think it was necessary.

What recipes have you tried when looking to change up your weeknight cooking routine?

-Looking forward to a wonderful Wednesday!