Snappy Smothered Chicken

I got this recipe from Southern Living Magazine, which is my favorite new magazine (I got a free subscription) because they have some of the best recipes in it. I’ve really enjoyed the four issues I’ve gotten this month (lol, you know how they send you all the recent back issues plus the most recent issues when you get a free subscription?) with all of the holiday recipes. Really, I will probably find a way to renew really cheaply once my free subscription is over.

I made this last night and thought it was uber-yummy. More thoughts/recommendations at the end.

Snappy Smothered Chicken

Ingredients

1 (8-oz.) package wide egg noodles
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 (16-oz.) package mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic (I used fresh because it’s what I had)
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/3 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 rotisserie chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
1. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, stir together paprika, dried thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and mushrooms, and sauté 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and paprika mixture; sauté 2 minutes. Add soup, milk, and, if desired, wine, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add chicken pieces; spoon sauce over top of chicken. Reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated. Stir in 1 Tbsp. parsley. Serve over hot cooked noodles. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Yield

Makes 4 servings

The recipe calls for white wine, which is optional. I used the white wine, which I thought was great, but the magazine suggests that if you leave out the white wine, you increase the milk to 1 1/3 cups.

My biggest recommendation is that you greatly reduce the amount of thyme you add. Josh and I both thought this was good, but would have been great if not for the way the thyme took over the recipe. Truly, I suggest 1/4 teaspoon, but definitly no more than 1/2

If you’re looking for an easy two day meal plan, we determined that rather than buying a rotisserie chicken, next time I would make a crockpot chicken for dinner the first night, then use the leftovers for this recipe the second night. Much more cost efficient (since I can get a roaster chicken at Sam’s Club for only $4 for 2 chickens versus $6 for a rotisserie chicken) and it’s a two night easy meal plan.

The picture of this recipe on the website/in the magazine shows them using large pieces of chicken. I actually stripped the chicken and cut it up, which I thought worked well, though probably added 5-10 minutes onto my prep time. But it made it easier to eat 😉

This recipe was REALLY easy to make, I can’t wait to try it again with less thyme. I served it with steamed asparagus and fresh dinner rolls.