Chicken Paprikash

I have been craving for Chicken Paprikash for so long.  My mother in law makes a good one that is good.  She doesn't cook hot heavy meals/stews in the summer, so we always have to wait for the fall and winter months.  I couldn't wait that long, I had to have it.  I looked all over the internet, couldn't find something I was looking for.  Then a local bar served Chicken Paprikash and I heard it was good so I went to check it out, I checked out the menu.  It was a place that closed and someone bought the property and made a completely remodeled Restaurant/Bar.  So I asked the Bartender about the Chicken Paprikash and she said they were all out.  They were making the noodles.  How hard is it to make the noodles.  You mix the dough and drop it inside some hot water!  LOL!  I made homemade cavatelli in one day and that is just me and you have to form it and everything.  Well I thought at this point I was not meant to have Chicken Paprikash.  Then I thought, forget it, I am just going to make it myself even though I have never made it.  I better start now!

This recipe is a mix of what my mother in law told me, she just gave me ingredients, she eyes the recipe like I do most of the time.  As she said it's never made the same each time.  I think that's true with any dish.  So I researched some of the methods of making this dish and incorporating the ingredients of my mother in law's and then added my twist to it.  As I discovered, I didn't have to wait for Chicken Breasts to thaw, I just dropped them into the pot with the broth and poached/stewed the chicken.  It worked great and the chicken picked up the flavors of the broth mixture.

This is what I came up with, it's so good, has a kick from the pepper blend and it's creamy and comforting.  I could eat comforting hearty meals all year round.  That's how I grew up.  Granted the summer months provided us with summer vegetables aplenty and it was a lot of vegetable inspired dishes, but we Italians eat!

I hope you like it as much as I love it, or I hope you end up loving it.  It's easy.  Some people say it's an all day event, but really it's not.  Quite easy for me.  I knew the flavor I was achieving.  Also for my husband who hates Chicken Paprikash loved mine.  So SCORE!  Now I can actually make this for more than just me.  As I said I like it with a little kick and knowing my daughter wouldn't eat it, I made it such as with a kick.  But if you have kids who do or would eat this, not only God Bless You but you can lessen the amount of pepper blend you use.  Really it's to your liking.  I also want to note that I kinda think of this as more as a stew type dish.  You don't have to mix in the spaetzles like I do into the broth, you can certainly ladle this creamy chicken goodness on top of noodles.  I mix mine all together.  I just wonder, how would this taste if I added mushrooms?  I know my husband would definitely not eat it since he HATES mushrooms.  Okay I will stick with traditional.  But if you do add anything to this dish, I'd love to hear about it.

My yummy bowl of Chicken Paprikash!

*Don't you just love my Arial Photos...LOL!

Ingredients/Recipe:

5 Large Chicken Breasts (thawed or frozen)
48 Ounces of Chicken Broth
2 Packages of Spaetzles or Homemade
1-3 Tablespoons McCormicks or Lawry's Seasoned Pepper Blend (this is what gives it a kick, so use to your discretion).
3-4 Tablespoons Sweet Hungarian Paprika or McCormick's Paprika
1-2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
Couple Dashes of Salt
1/2 Onion (diced or sliced) (optional)
3/4 of a stick of butter
8 ounces of Heavy Whipping Cream
8 ounces of Sour Cream

Take your half of an onion and place it in a large pot with 1/4 stick of butter until onions are softened.
Add Chicken Broth to pot and add chicken breasts.  Start to add your Paprika and Seasoned Pepper Blend.

Mix everything together and let it boil until your chicken breasts are fully cooked.

At this point you want to lower your heat and remove your chicken breasts that have been boiling in the pot, to a separate bowl.

Shred your chicken using 2 forks or cube your chicken with a chopping knife.  I shredded mine but left big chunks as well.

Remove about a half cup of broth from your pot into a mug or small bowl and add about 3-4 tablespoons of flour to the broth.  Mix until you get a slurry.  This will thicken your sauce.

Add your chicken and spaetzles to the broth and let boil for a couple of minutes.  Then add your slurry and mix in the pot until incorporated and boil until it starts to bubble and thicken.  If you'd like it thicker, take more of the broth into the cup and add flour and make more slurry and add to the pot until it gets thicker.  Don't make it too thick or else it will be too pasty.

*Notice the deep red color, this is achieved by using the Paprika.

Add in salt, garlic powder and rest of butter.  Mix.  Add more Paprika and Seasoned Pepper Blend to your liking.  Add in your Heavy Whipping Cream and stir, this will now lighten the broth and make it creamy.  Simmer and then at the very end when your ready to finish the dish, mix in the Sour Cream.  Turn off the heat!

*Notice the Pepper Flakes, I used a lot of the Seasoned Pepper Blend.

You can use less if you'd like.  Taste test.

Finished Hearty Bowl of Chicken Paprikash.

You can eat this right away, it will be very hot so let it rest a few moments.  Ladle into a bowl or on a plate and serve with some biscuits, croissants or crusty fresh bread.  As with anything, it always tasted better the next day, so if you'd like make this the night before and serve it the next day.  Either way it's delicious.

*Side thought:  I wonder what it would be like if I added about 4 ounces of Cream Cheese to it?  You know me and my cheeses!  I bet it would be yummy!  I actually almost topped this with freshly grated Parmesan!  Hee Hee!

If you have any questions about this recipe or any recipe, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you!

Enjoy!

Annamaria