Soft egg noodles with creamy dill chicken for nights I start cooking before I am hungry
Easier-to-swallow option below ↓On days when I start cooking with no interest in eating, I get the chicken209 kcal browning first so the smell can change that before the rest of the meal is ready. Chicken thighs go into butter102 kcal, onion softens in the same pan, and cream and broth make a mild sauce. Dill goes in at the end. Soft egg72 kcal noodles finish the bowl. About 580 calories, mild enough that the early smell does not turn me away.
I put the chicken in the pan before I decide whether I am hungry. The butter foams, the meat browns, and the apartment starts to smell like dinner. That is usually the point where I stop thinking about skipping the meal. Onion softens next, then broth and cream go in, and the chicken finishes in that liquid until it shreds with a fork. I cook the egg noodles a minute past the package time so they stay soft in the sauce.
I start the chicken before I feel ready to eat, and the smell usually catches up to me.
Why it works
Chicken thighs hold more fat than breast meat, so the sauce gets richer without extra steps. Cream and butter raise the calories in a modest volume, and soft egg noodles absorb the liquid so every bite is easy to finish. Parmesan110 kcal melts in at the end for salt and a little body. On low-appetite days I shred the chicken finely, cut the noodles short, and thin the sauce with extra cream until the bowl is easy to eat with a spoon.
Soft egg noodles with creamy dill chicken for nights I start cooking before I am hungry
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 oz egg noodles
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dried dill)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese110 kcal
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for the noodle water
- Black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with half the salt and a little black pepper.
- Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the onion to the same pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the cream and remaining salt. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- While the chicken simmers, cook the egg noodles in salted water for 1 minute longer than the package time so they stay soft. Drain.
- Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the sauce. Stir in the dill, parmesan, and lemon juice if using. Toss the soft noodles through the sauce and serve warm.
Nutrition figures are home-kitchen estimates, not lab-verified Nutrition Facts. This is food and comfort guidance, not medical advice.
Make it your own
- Chicken thighs stay juicier than breast meat in a cream sauce and give more calories per bite.
- Add the dill off the heat or at the very end so it stays bright instead of dull.
- Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat with a splash of cream or broth so the noodles stay soft.
- If you only have chicken breast, cut the simmer time short and add an extra tablespoon of butter to the sauce.
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