Happy Thursday everyone!
I’m trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Christmas is less than 3 weeks away! Ack! What’s exciting about our December is my husband’s birthday is December 11th, then our wedding anniversary is December 23 and then Christmas comes 2 days later. Gift giving gets real this time of year!
So I will try to keep this short and sweet as I have gifts to buy (some to make!) and then wrap!
Anyways, this is what I made in a rush since I had butternut squash, chicken and sausage to make but struggled with not wanting to put all of them in 1 dish. So I made this: Seared/Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash Mash and Italian Risotto. I call it Italian since 1:it has Italian Sausage in it and 2: its a take on Giada De Laurentiis recipe but I made so many tweaks, I don’t think she would recognize it!
Italian Risotto
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used more of my leftover turkey stock)
2 TBL butter
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup arborio rice (I had to use long grain but I recommend the shorter arborio)
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper
2 TBL parsley, chopped
Warm the broth (espcially if its been in the fridge) in a saucepan or in a measuring cup in the microwave. In a large pan or skillet, melt the butter on medium heat and brown the sausage, breaking apart. Once browned, about 5 minutes, remove and set aside.
Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to the same pan. Saute until softened, about 8 minutes. Stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Add the wine and simmer until its been evaporated.
Start adding broth in 1/2 to 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly so that all broth is absorbed before adding the next. This should take 2-3 minutes in between each batch.
When the last 1/2 cup of broth is added, also add the sausage back into the rice.
Stir in the cheese and parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve along with extra parmesan.
I also seared and roasted chicken breasts as well. The easiest way to do this is pat the chicken dry and season. I added salt, pepper and Italian seasoning blend on each chicken breast, flipping over to season other side as well.
Sear on each side 3 minutes, just until color starts to develop.
Move to sheet pan and place in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees. (I love my digital thermometer!)
Butternut squash in the oven is super easy and really simple. Wash squash and cut in half, trimming ends off as well. Scoop out flesh and seeds. Place in large pan and fill with water 1 inch up sides.
Cover with foil and place in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Take out and let cool until able to handle. Scoop out flesh into bowl and mash by hand with fork or masher. Add salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cream or milk and 2 TBL butter.
If you make all of these at once, they can be made simultaniously. Just make sure the little ones are occupied!
This is a snapshot of one of the kids’ bowls and our plates. It was gobbled up!
Please let me know what you thought about the Risotto or any of these dishes!
How did I miss this post? This looks excellent, and I’ll have to prepare these dishes and try them out. It could be a good menu for an Old Geezers Yacht Club dinner party.
Thanks! Those Old Geezers would love it, and I bet you could make it even better 😉
Shannon, these are great photos and the food looks delicious!
Thanks! And I was even having a tough time with my camera that night!