Chicken, Caramelized Onion, & Parmesan Risotto

I had planned our whole dinner menu out a few weeks ago without looking at the weather and of course we had multiple 75 degree days in the end of October.  It was awesome!!!  But not great weather for the soup I had planned.  So I rummaged through our pantry to see if I could find something else to make.  As soon as I saw the box of risotto I remembered seeing a chicken & caramelized onion recipe on Pinterest.  I just followed my Parmesan Risotto recipe and added chicken & onions.  It was so so good!  So creamy and comforting!  But suitable for warm weather too :)

 

 

 

 

Chicken, Caramelized Onion, & Parmesan Risotto

 

3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or one 32 oz box)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (I didn't have so I just used all broth)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

2 or 3 chicken breasts or thighs

1 large onion

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon sugar

Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Roast in the oven at 375 for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. 

 

While chicken is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet.  Add sliced onion and sugar and cook over low heat until onions are caramelized. 

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.  In a separate medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon (or whisk), until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until it is well coated with the butter and starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine (or broth) and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.

Ladle 1/2 cup of the warm broth into the rice mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is absorbed. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until the rice is cooked through but still firm, 20 to 25 minutes total.

Shred the chicken.  Add the chicken, onions, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan to the risotto.  Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, topping with additional Parmesan.

Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic

I love roasted veggies.  There is something about roasting them that really deepens the flavor and gives them the best crispy texture!  I've never thought about roasting peppers for a side dish until I had them this way from the hot bar at whole foods.  They were so tender but still crispy!  I knew I needed to add some roasted garlic and after searching a few recipes I decided to toss them in a little balsamic too.  They are soo good.  I've found myself making them again the following week and wanting to again next week, at least for lunches!  

Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 green pepper

1/2 cup baby carrots

1 cup halved mushrooms

3 garlic cloves, minced 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic

1 teaspoon dried basil

salt & pepper

Chop onion & peppers into large bite-sized pieces.  Place onions, peppers, and carrots in a single layer on baking pan.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.  Toss to coat, then bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add mushrooms.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsalmic, and additional salt if desired and toss to coat.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes until veggies are tender and slightly browned on the edges.

Crock Pot Italian Turkey Matballs

I had this really yummy lunch at Whole Foods a few weeks ago and haven't been able to get it out of my head.  So I finally decided to try and recreate it!  It was turkey meatballs, mashed potatoes, and these really great roasted veggies that I'll share a recipe for soon.  Complete comfort food and oh so yummy!  I decided to try making the meatballs in the crock pot and found a few recipes online to base them off of.  These were amazing, so so tasty and the sauce was really flavorful after the meatballs cooked in it all day!

Crock Pot Italian Turkey Meatballs

based off of Skinny Taste

mine yielded 14 meatballs (I would totally double this recipe if I were you!)

meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey breast 93% lean

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 cup fresh italian parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
sauce:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp kosher salt + fresh pepper
28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, egg, and seasonings.  Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients and form small meatballs without packing them too tight so they stay tender.  I got 14 meatballs.

Pour crushed tomatoes into the crock pot with garlic, onion, parsley, and salt & pepper.  Drop meatballs into the sauce, cover and set crock pot to low, 4 to 6 hours.  (Mine were perfect after 4 hours.)

Creamy Chicken and Brie Soup

I told you I had lots of soups coming!  This soup was great, but it honestly turned out really different than I was anticipating it!  I thought it would be really creamy and smooth and just taste like brie.  However, brie doesn't really melt like I thought.  It more stayed in chunks and you just got pieces of it in each bite.  It was delicious, very light and flavorful! 

 

 

 

Creamy Chicken and Brie Soup

via How Sweet Eats

 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
3 cups raw spinach, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1/2 cup half and half
8 ounces brie cheese, torn/chopped into small pieces


Heat a large pot on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers with a sprinkle of salt and saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in spinach and garlic. Add butter, and once it melts whisk in flour to create a roux. Make sure you whisk all ingredients together.

Add chicken to the pot, along with milk and chicken stock. Allow soup to come to a simmer, then add brie and continue stirring until it all melts – about 5 minutes. Stir in half and half. Turn heat up high and let soup come to a boil, stirring every few minutes so cheese does not stick to the bottom. At this point, you may see some separate of stock/milk, but with a few stirs and time to simmer, the soup will come together.

Once soup boils, turn it down to a simmer and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot!

 

No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bites

I knew these would be a great little one handed snack to have in the fridge and they were really yummy!  They really tasted more like dessert than something healthy!  Two of them held me over when I was a little hungry between meals and gave me some energy.  I would totally recommend doubling this recipe because these went way too quick.



last three left!


No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bites
via How Sweet Eats
yields 15 bites

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons chia seeds (didn't have so I left these out)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup ground peanuts or ground almonds, to roll the balls in

Directions:

Combine oats, almonds, flaxseed, chia seeds, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir.

Melt peanut butter and allow it to cool slightly (I melted mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then stirred), then stir in honey and vanilla extract until it's combined. Once peanut butter has cooled a bit, pour it over the oat mixture and mix well with a spoon then bring together with your hands. Once mixture is sticking together, fold in chocolate chips.

Roll dough into golf-ball sized (or slightly smaller) balls, then roll in ground peanuts or ground almonds. These can be eaten at room temp but we really like them stored in the fridge!

Tortellini Spinach Bake w Creamy Lemon Sauce

This was amazing!  Every bite I kept saying mmmm, we loved it!  I later made it for a friend who just had a baby and also for my bible study group's freezer meal swap (it froze and reheated well I think!).  The lemon was such a bright surprise.  I added mushrooms in ours as well, but you can definitely leave that out if you wish.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
via Our Best Bites

12 oz bag Cheese Tortellini (I used frozen)
4 strips bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped (I used 8 oz frozen, dethawed and squeezed water out)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon and mushrooms in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat.  Cook until bacon is crisp.  Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.  Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest.  Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute.  Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon.  Then cut lemon in half and remove juice.  Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce.  (Note:  I really love lemon so I added this to my tastes.  If you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor, I suggest cutting it down to 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice) .  Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture.  Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Add sauce and gently stir to combine.  Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout.  Remove from oven and serve!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Ok, I can't claim that I found this recipe.  This was a freezer meal courtesy of my friend Sarah but it was too good not to share the recipe.  And since I made it twice in two weeks I figured I should post it!  These were incredible!  Can't believe how easy they were to throw together!  The chicken is so tender and flavorful!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

via Sarah

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 jar salsa

1 packet taco seasoning

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 onion

soft tacos/tortillas

shredded cheese, optional

sour cream, optional

Slice peppers and onion.  Add chicken, veggies, salsa, and taco seasoning to crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.  Serve in tortillas with cheese and sour cream if desired.  Amazing!