A braise that turns sour cream into a silky, tangy sauce around chicken thighs while onions melt into the pan. This shelf keeps one thing, so we build the rest from what we know: a weeknight dinner that uses every last bit.

Serves 2. 45 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 680 calories a serving, 34 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 53 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup (250 ml) sour cream, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 medium onion, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat 4 bone-in chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. When the oil shimmers, lay the thighs skin-side down and let them brown for 5 minutes without moving them.5 min
2. Turn the thighs and brown the other side for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a plate. Pour out all but a thin film of fat from the pan.3 min
3. Slice 2 medium onions into thin half-moons and add them to the same skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt. Stir often until they are soft and deeply golden, about 12 minutes. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and stir them in for the last minute.12 min
4. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, nestle them into the onions skin-side up, and pour 1 cup of sour cream over and around them. Bring to a bare simmer, then cover and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.15 min
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken and onions with all the sauce spooned over them.

Note Swap chicken thighs for drumsticks or pork chops if you prefer. Leftovers keep three days in a closed container. Serve with rice or egg noodles to catch every drop of sauce, or with a simple green salad on the side to cut the richness.

A small pan of tender egg noodles bound with sour cream and butter, topped with fried onion and a hit of garlic. This is what you make when the fridge is spare and two tablespoons of sour cream needs rescuing.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 430 calories a serving, 9 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 2 tablespoons sour cream, 4 ounces pasta, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 tablespoons oil.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 4 ounces of egg noodles until tender, about 8 minutes, then drain, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water.12 min
2. While the noodles cook, slice 1 medium onion thinly and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the onion softens and the edges turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, then transfer to a plate.7 min
3. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat and mince 2 cloves of garlic into it, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant.1 min
4. Add the drained noodles to the garlic butter and fold in 2 tablespoons of sour cream along with 3 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, tossing gently over low heat until the noodles are coated and creamy, about 2 minutes, adding more water if needed.2 min
5. Divide the noodles between two bowls and top each with half the crisp onion, salt, and pepper to taste.

Note Swap canned fried onions for the fresh. Keeps two days covered in the fridge and reheats gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed greens on the side.

Buttered egg noodles dressed in sour cream with fried onion shards: a simple, soothing dish that uses half a tub of sour cream and comes together in thirty minutes. Nothing fancy, just warm and enough.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 960 calories a serving, 18 g protein, 95 g carbohydrate, 57 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup [240 ml] sour cream, 8 oz [225 g] egg noodles pasta, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 large onion, 3 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper.

1. Slice 1 large onion into thin half-moons. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the onion, stirring often, until deeply golden at the edges and crisp, about ten minutes. Scrape onto a plate and season with salt and pepper.10 min
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 oz egg noodles until just tender, about eight minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the noodles.8 min
3. Return the pot to low heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sour cream until smooth. Add the warm noodles and toss well, adding splashes of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
4. Divide between bowls and top with the crisp onion and any oil from the pan.

Note Swap the onion for crisp bacon if you have it. The noodles keep covered in the fridge for three days and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Serve with steamed greens or a sharp salad to cut the richness.