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There\u2019s one meal that everyone in my household loves, and it\u2019s not mac and cheese. It\u2019s not even my own recipe! It\u2019s my best friend\u2019s mom\u2019s mushroom paprikash.<\/p>\n
I got hooked on this meal back in my twenties, when I started making it with my best friend, Chrissy, who learned it from her mom, Monika, who learned how to make it as a child in Slovakia. \u201cTraditionally, paprikash is made with chicken,\u201d Monika told me. \u201cBut in the old days, behind the Iron Curtain, we didn\u2019t have meat most days, so people used what was available. In summertime, if it was a nice day, all us kids would go out into the woods and gather mushrooms. That\u2019s how the mushroom paprikash came about. And it was wonderful!\u201d<\/p>\n
It still is. Which is why I follow Monika\u2019s version to the letter. I still have her instructions saved in a decade-old text message, which I can now recite from memory (though I\u2019ve copied it into my Notes app JUST IN CASE). It\u2019s our family\u2019s favorite winter meal, by far, but I\u2019ll just as easily whip it out in July. Monika\u2019s paprikash has a 100% success rate, even with my preschooler \u2014 even<\/em> when she\u2019s sick and I have to beg her to consider a popsicle. She will willingly dehydrate before my eyes, but if she sees me slicing mushrooms, she\u2019ll throw her hands up and shout, \u201cPAPRIKASHHH!\u201d And then her dad comes in and goes, \u201cPaprikash?\u201d And then I nod and we all chant the word \u201cpaprikash\u201d because it\u2019s also fun to say. The meal puts everyone in a good mood \u2014\u00a0until someone eats the last portion without asking, and then we\u2019re all grumpy and some of us cry. All this to say: do yourself a favor and double the recipe.<\/p>\n Monika\u2019s Mushroom Paprikash<\/strong> 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced or grated Add olive oil to a large pan or Dutch oven (enough to coat the bottom well), and turn the heat on medium-low. Add the onion, and saut\u00e9 just until it begins to turn translucent and golden. Next, add the paprika (see below!) and turn the heat low. Monika suggests adding a tiny splash of water here, to ensure the paprika doesn\u2019t burn. This is the #1 rule: Do not let the paprika burn! Keep the heat low from here on out, and keep an eye on the pan to make sure the paprika doesn\u2019t start to darken.<\/p>\n Add the mushrooms and quickly stir them into the onion mixture so they\u2019re well coated, and saut\u00e9, stirring frequently. You can inch the heat up a little once the mushrooms have released their liquid, but be careful not to let it boil off entirely (again: no burning the paprika!).<\/p>\n Once the mushrooms are nice and soft, take the pan off the heat and give it a quick taste. \u201cI sometimes add a little salt here, if it needs it, but only after everything\u2019s cooked,\u201d Monika says. FYI, this is another key to the recipe. I\u2019ve accidentally added the salt too early before, and noticed that the mushrooms don\u2019t release as much liquid \u2014 a major flavor element. <\/p>\n Stir in the sour cream, adding more as needed. You want it a bit thicker than a sauce \u2014 more like the consistency of whole-milk yogurt. Boil up your egg noodles or spaetzle, and serve beneath a good scoop of paprikash. (Make sure to leave some for seconds.)<\/p>\n *As for how much paprika to add to the pan, it\u2019s not an exact science. I usually start with a heaping tablespoon \u2014 which seems like a lot, but then I inevitably add another (and sometimes more). In my experience, it\u2019s pretty hard to add too much. When in doubt, Monika says: \u201cYou want enough to make it red.\u201d<\/p>\n **Paprikash is traditionally served on spaetzle \u2014\u00a0which I have never made, though it looks delicious<\/a>. Monika says it\u2019s fine to be flexible here. \u201cEgg noodles or any similar short pasta will do!\u201d<\/p>\n Big thanks to Moni for sharing this treasured family recipe with me! Any great recipes you\u2019ve nabbed from someone else\u2019s mom?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S. The #1 thing we\u2019d tell new parents about family dinner<\/a>, and what are five recipes in your arsenal<\/a>?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cupofjo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/paprikash_05.jpeg\")
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serves 3-4<\/p>\n
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2+ tbsp sweet paprika (Monika recommends a Hungarian paprika, like this one<\/a>)*
16 oz mushrooms (baby bella\/cremini\/brown button), sliced thin
Salt, to taste
1+ cups sour cream
Egg noodles or spaetzle**, for serving<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cupofjo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/paprikash_06.jpg\")
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