This is the first quiet day I've had this month. Between visitors and a PAC commitment, time has been hard to come by, and I am woefully behind in my reading and correspondence. Hopefully, I'll be caught up and back on schedule by this weekend, so please bear with me for another day or so. I rarely feature recipes from magazines that are still on newsstands, but I made several exceptions this month. A handful of dishes caught my eye and I wanted to try them while we had visitors here. Tonight's casserole, which appears in the September issue of Family Circle Magazine, was well received and I thought it was worth sharing, especially with those of you who are actively seeking new recipes to try for your families. The main components of this dish pair well together, but, make no bones about it, the star of the casserole is the smoked paprika. If you are a fan of its robust flavor you'll really enjoy this meal, though it will be a hard sell to younger children. Information regarding smoked paprika can be found, here. The casserole can be assembled in about 15 minutes and on the table in less than an hour. If you follow the instructions, this is a foolproof meal. That makes it a perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner. I enjoyed this and will be making it again because it is so easy to do. Here's the recipe.

Smoky Chicken and Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1-1/2 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges, plus more for serving (optional)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Add chicken, potatoes, onion, green pepper and garlic. Toss with olive oil and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon wedges over top and scatter wedges over casserole.

3) Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chicken reaches 160 degrees . Stir once after 20 minutes.

4) Scatter parsley over top. Serve with additional lemon, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

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