This shelf holds only enriched milk, so tonight is a straight creamed chicken built on it: browned chicken thighs in a silky, savory sauce that leans on the milk's sweetness and body. Serve it over rice or pasta to stretch the sauce, and dinner is done in forty minutes.

Serves 2. 40 minutes, 25 at the stove.

About 780 calories a serving, 74 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 42 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Chop one small onion and 2 cloves garlic fine. Slice 6 ounces mushrooms into quarters. Pat 1 pound chicken thighs dry with paper towel, season them with salt and pepper all over.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it foams, lay the chicken thighs in the pan, skin-side down if any skin remains, and do not move them. Brown them, 5 to 6 minutes, until golden underneath, then turn and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more, until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate.10 min
3. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet. When it foams, add the onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are soft and their liquid has mostly evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.8 min
4. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour in 1.5 cups milk, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a simmer.3 min
5. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.10 min

Note Swap chicken thighs for breasts if you have them, though thighs are more forgiving; they'll need the same time. Leftovers keep three days in a covered container and reheat gently on the stove top. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes to soak up every bit of sauce.