Comfort food is a true passion of mine, if you caught my instastories last week, I asked what comfort food means to everyone. What is that dish that always comes to mind when you need a food hug? Is it chicken noodle soup, meatloaf, tacos, egg drop soup, ratatouille, simple roast chicken, feijoada, or borscht? Every country and family has their own version of comfort and that fascinates me!

My Brazilian-born grandmother was from Hungarian/Yugoslavian heritage so I got the classics from both cultures growing up. I think that is a huge reason I have a taste for so many different types of cuisines, I am a mutt of flavors! Everyone knows and loves goulash and for good reason, it is crazy delicious but so is Chicken Paprikash. Both use sour cream as the creamy component and I needed a way to enjoy this without the effects of eating something with a ton of dairy in it. So I developed my own simple recipe and used some of the great dairy alternatives we have available now. Don’t be afraid of all the paprika, I promise it gives amazing flavor and depth to this dinner.

This is a true family favorite comfort and it is easy enough to whip together on a weeknight. My husband was all heart eyes about it and demanded to know why I haven’t made it before. Whoops! My girls loved it and only one picked out the mushrooms so I am taking that as a huge win. This is traditionally served over egg noodles but I have to tell you, it was amazing over cauliflower rice. I love that it is almost a one pot meal and now that I’m thinking about it, it would make a mean stew… If you are vegan and you want in on this beauty, swap the chicken for some beans (I imagine that Cannellini beans would be perfect) for a hearty and delicious dinner. If you have a nut allergy in the house, swap the cashew yogurt with some coconut cream. This is Whole30, Paleo, Keto, low carb, gluten free, and dairy free. I hope that gives options for everyone to enjoy my family’s comfort food.

Chicken Paprikash

1 lb mushrooms sliced
3 Tablespoon ghee (or avocado oil), divided
3 bell peppers, sliced
2 onions, sliced
3 chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds), thinly sliced (substitute 4 cups of beans if vegan or vegetarian)
2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/4 cup cashewgurt or coconut cream
Serve with cauliflower rice, egg noodles, spiralized noodles, or mashed potatoes

- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a large pot on medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook until they are all browned. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

- Heat another tablespoon of ghee to the pot and add the sliced onions, season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook until slightly softened. Add the peppers and an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt and several cracks of pepper, cook until the onions and peppers are browned and soft.

- Add the thin slices of chicken and the paprika and garlic powder. Stir to ensure the spices are distributed and cook until the chicken is cooked through, it will only take a few minutes.

- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and broth, then add back the reserved mushrooms stir until combined. Let simmer for a few minutes and add salt and pepper if needed.

- Lastly, drop in the yogurt a few minutes before serving, stir to create a creamy sauce.

Slice those mushrooms, add ghee to a hot pot, and cook until browned then season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set aside in a bowl to chill while you work on the rest.

Onions and peppers give me life! Slice the onions, add more ghee to the pot, season with salt and pepper and cook the onions until they start to soften. Then add in the three sliced peppers, add a pinch more salt (season every layer of your meal and you will usually have it close to perfect at the end!) and cook until softened

You want to make thin slices to the chicken, you could also buy a pack of fajita sliced chicken if your store carries that!

Add the chicken and the spices, stir to combine and cook. Then add the tomatoes, broth, and mushrooms. Let that hang out and have those flavors develop for a few minutes. When you are close to being ready to serve, add in the yogurt!