Mushroom Paprikash

Here's another paprika and sour cream-based recipe. This is from Betty Crocker.

4 cups uncooked egg noodles (8 oz)
1 tbsp margarine or butter
2 packages (8 oz each) sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp chopped freh or 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
2. While noodles are cooking, melt margarine or butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are tender and most of liquid has evaporated.
3. Mix sour cream, milk and dill weed. Stir into mushroom mixture; cook until hot. Pour mushroom mixture over noodles. Toss with cheese until noodles are well coated.

Serves 6.

1 Serving: 225 calories (125 from fat); 14g fat (saturated 8g); 60mg cholesterol; 300mg sodium; 25g carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber); 9g protein.

Optional: Omit 1 package of mushrooms. Cut 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves into 3/4-inch pieces. Cook chicken in margarine until no longer pink before cooking mushrooms in step 2. Add mushrooms and seasonings. Continue as directed.

Chicken Paprikás

This recipe is from Sheila Lukins of Parade Magazine. My husband likes it as it's sour cream-based. I also used the same sauce for a beef stew recipe that went awry.

Cooking the paprika with the onions brings out the spice’s sweetness. Be sure not to let the sauce come to a boil.

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
2 chickens (21⁄2 pounds each), cut into 8 serving pieces each, rinsed
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Noodles, for serving

1. Heat the vegetable shortening in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Wilt the onions over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not brown. Sprinkle with the paprika and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Add the chicken, broth, tomatoes and bell pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, then simmer—do not boil—partially covered, for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. While the chicken is cooking, mix the sour cream and flour together in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. When the chicken has cooked for 50 minutes, remove to a bowl. Cook the sauce over medium heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes to reduce it slightly. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce into the sour-cream mixture and whisk until smooth, then slowly whisk back into the sauce pot. Adjust seasonings. Return chicken to pot, covering well with sauce. Heat through over low heat. Serve over noodles.

Serves 6. Per serving (without noodles): 520 calories, 13g carbohydrate, 49g protein, 29g fat, 155mg cholesterol.