Chicken Paprikash-Topped Potatoes

I adore baked potatoes for dinner, and the more creative the topping, the better.  So when I saw this recipe, I had to give it a try.  It takes traditional Hungarian paprikash - a dish of chicken, onions, and paprika, traditionally served over pasta - and puts it on top of a baked potato instead.

Ingredients:

• 4 baking potatoes (about 1 and 1/2 pounds total)
• 4 Gardein chick'n filets
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Scrub the potatoes with a brush and pierce several times with a fork.  Arrange on paper towels in a microwave and microwave until done, turning halfway through - I recommend starting out with a cook time of 8 minutes, but since microwave strengths can vary considerably, they may need as long as 16 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before splitting open with a fork and fluffing the pulp.

2. Meanwhile, cut the Gardein chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Combine the chicken pieces in a zip-top plastic bag with the flour, paprika, salt, and ground red pepper; seal and shake to coat.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken mixture, the onion, the mushrooms, and the garlic; saute for 5 minutes.  Add the broth; bring to a boil, then continue to cook for 6 minutes, until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

4. Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the baked potatoes, and sprinkle evenly with the parsley.

To round out this meal, try serving the potatoes with garlic breadsticks (whether store-bought or homemade) and simple roasted Brussels sprouts: combine 4 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts on a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with 2 teaspoons melted vegan butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tossing to coat.  Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, then prepare the rest of the dish while the sprouts are roasting in the oven.  For the garlic breadsticks, I followed this recipe from Cooking Light, swapping agave nectar for the honey and using one Ener-G egg for the real egg. 

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 potato and 1/2 cup chicken mixture), Calories 311

Tasting Notes:
The paprikash mixture by itself was already delicious, and serving it over the potatoes made it even better.  Wonderfully creamy from the sour cream - reminiscent of the sauce in the beef stroganoff my mom made when I was a kid - with delicious bites of chicken and mushroom mixed in.  You might consider adding a touch of sherry to bring out the mushroom taste a bit more.  Do make sure to follow the recipe instructions and buy small (about 6 ounce) potatoes. I had initially worried they would be too small and overwhelmed by the sauce, but it was actually the opposite; if the potatoes were any larger, there wouldn't be enough sauce to offset the dryness of the potato flesh.  Also, the recipe did not specify to use Hungarian sweet paprika, but I wish in retrospect that I had; mine had a touch too much heat.

Rating:
4