Some people are not into peanut butter in savory applications. And I get that — it’s quite a leap from peanut butter cookies to chicken satay. But if you’re asking me, it’s something that works equally well in both desserts and dinners.

It brings salty, rich flavor wherever it goes and here it brings it to an (almost) one-pan dish that’s heavy on veggies but also delicious sauce and it comes together in just over twenty minutes. (That means it’s the perfect kind of dinner for those nights when you don’t know what to make for dinner.)

This is always a hit with my whole family and it’s incredibly easy to throw together. You simply want to cook your chicken with some ginger and garlic while your noodles are boiling. (That’s why this is almost one pan — you need to boil your noodles.) Chicken thighs or breasts work just fine here; it’s really more about what you have on hand. Udon noodles are the ideal choice but if you can’t find them, basic fettuccine is a good substitute.

Once the chicken has cooked through, add in some carrots and cabbage and cook until they’ve started to soften. Up until this point, you’ll be working over high heat so be prepared that things come together very quickly. You want to have all your ingredients prepped and chopped beforehand to avoid anything burning.

Then you’ll reduce the heat to medium and add in your sauce, which is peanut butter and soy sauce based, along with the noodles. You’ll want to ladle in some water as needed to loosen the sauce. This helps give you a nice creamy texture as you toss things together. The final flourish is some peanuts and scallions that you can also use as a nice little garnish for serving. So much flavor in so little time!