Easy Chicken Carbonara

When I was pregnant with my second baby, my homecooking took a nosedive.  I was so tired or nauseous that most of the time standing in the kitchen for 20 minutes seemed impossible.  So we ate a fair amount of take out which didn't make me super happy.  The one shining star in our food arsenal though was the Whole Foods and Central Market prepared food departments. 

We relied a lot on picking up dinners from Central Market.  Often times, Whole Foods was just too busy and overwhelming for me with my exhaustion and my toddler, so off to Central Market we went and Thank Goodness! They make the most amazing casseroles that you can just take home and pop in the oven: the cowboy casserole, the king ranch chicken and the chicken carbonara.

They are all delicious, but the chicken carbonara really takes the cake.  Its creamy, small enough to be eaten without having to cut anything up for a toddler, it has veggies, proteins and some pasta.  It was a life saver when I was pregnant - but now almost two years later, that is not the case and I always love a challenge.

I prefer to make anything myself because I know what is going into it and I can have more creativity with ingredients and flavor so this week I decided to take on the Chicken Carbonara casserole.

Now a traditional carbonara uses proscuitto, but you could easily substitute bacon for a kicked up flavor and I would absolutely recommend it that way too.  And the stand out factor in a carbonara is that the rich sauce is made rich with egg yolks rather than all cream.  Don't be intimidated by this, its really easy and really is tasty.

Lastly, the way I make the chicken for this pasta is a great tool to hang on to for lots of other recipes - it produces really soft, juicy chicken, with a nice crisp outside, without the time of a slow cooker. 

Quick Chicken

To cook 1 package of chicken breast tenders, season one side of the tenders with salt and pepper.  Melt 2 tbs of butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken tenders, seasoned side down and turn the heat up to give the skin a good brown, just a couple of minutes.  Season the other side of the chicken, and turn over to brown the other side. Add enough chicken broth to cover the bottom half of the chicken and bring the broth to a simmer.  Turn the chicken over and cover the skillet.  Let the chicken simmer for 3-5 minutes, then turn the chicken one more time and recover. Simmer until the chicken is soft and cooked through, another 3-5 minutes.

This method will work with whole chicken breasts as well, but you will need to simmer them for longer to ensure they are cooked through.  Covering the skillet traps the moisture of the broth inside and acts like a rapid slow cooker which keeps the chicken tender and soft - browning the chicken first produces more flavor and helps avoid that yucky boiled chicken look.

Easy Chicken Carbonara

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (about 8) chicken tenders, cooked and chopped
  
• 1/2 lb of bacon or 1/4 lb of proscuitto, diced
  
• 1 lb. orrichette pasta, cooked and drained
  
• 1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets
  
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
  
• 1 tbs. minced garlic
  
• 1/4 white onion, minced or 2 shallots, minced
  
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  

In a large pan or braiser, heat 1 tbs. of oil over medium high heat.  Add the bacon or proscuitto and cook until just crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate. Drain the excess fat from the pan, but do not wipe clean.

Add another tablespoon of oil or butter to the pan, add the garlic and onion or shallots and saute for a few minutes until tender.  Add back in the bacon and the chicken.  Stir and cook for a few minutes more.  Add the broccoli and peas, stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Cover, turn the heat down to low and allow to cook while you prepare the sauce.  In bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, cream and Parmesan.  Whisk together until smooth and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat down to low, it is important not to let the cream mixture boil or you will have scrambled eggs, then add the pasta to the pan and stir to combine.  Add the cream mixture, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and coating the pasta.  If you want a creamier sauce you can add more cream and Parmesan, or if you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a bit more chicken broth. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Make it a casserole!

You can easily make this dish into a bubbly casserole with just a few extra steps.

Preheat your oven to 350° and butter or grease an oval baking dish or 9 x 12 rectangle.

Pour the prepared pasta into the dish.  In a separate bowl, toss together 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 stick melted butter, 1 tbs. grated parmesean, 2 tsp. dried basil.  Set aside.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded Italian cheese on the top of the pasta (any Italian will be fine, mozzarella, provolone, an Italian blend).  Top with the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly. 

Chipotle Sweet Potato Risotto

I had just finished checking a whole lot of things off my to-do list, like Townes' birthday invitations and health insurance changes, when I realized it was suddenly 3:30 and I had no idea what we were eating for dinner.  I also looked outside and it had gone from a blustery, damp day to pre-storm gloom.  I had to make a decision fast and had no where to start.

I wanted something comforting, but I didn't want another comfort food that was covered in cheese and grease and overly decadent.  I wanted comfort food that would warm my soul but also make me feel good.  I wanted veggies and freshness.  I decided risotto was a great place to start, but my favorite (mushroom risotto) would be a no-go with Aaron.  So while I walked to Randall's with T in the stroller I started deciding what to put together. 

I thought sweet potatoes would be an interesting starch to add to the rice, but wouldn't be savory enough on their own.  I always think bacon marries well to sweet potatoes and would add some kick.  Chipotle and sage would add smoky, spiciness that would bring out the depth of the sweet potato instead of the sweetness.  I decided to up the nutritional factor and add some spinach, along with the risotto staples of onion, shallots and garlic. Finish it off with nutty Parmesan and I was good to go.

The best part about how this came out, is that you can keep customizing it.  Substitute kale for spinach, use prosciutto instead of bacon, vegetable broth instead of chicken.  This can be filled with super foods, its gluten free, and it could be vegetarian!

Chipotle Sweet Potato Risotto

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1-inch chunks
• Olive oil
• 1 tbs. chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbs. Chipotle powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 8-12 oz. bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced small
• 2 tbs. minced garlic
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or olive oil. 

In a large mixing bowl, toss the sweet potato chunks with the sage, Chipotle powder, garlic powder, season with salt and pepper and 2-3 tbs. of olive oil, until evenly coated.  Spread the sweet potato onto the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until very soft and tender.  Mine took about 30 minutes, tossing them every 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly.

Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven, over medium heat, cook the diced bacon.  In a separate sauce pot, warm the chicken broth over medium high heat, if it comes to a boil, turn the heat down and keep it warm.

When the bacon is done, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon into a paper towel-lined bowl.  Pour out the bacon fat, leaving just about a tablespoon or two at the bottom, discard the rest.

Melt the 2 tbs. butter in the dutch oven into the bacon fat over medium heat.  Add the shallots and onion, sauteing until translucent, 3-5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and spinach, cook until spinach has wilted. 

Your sweet potatoes should be done around now, just pull the tray out and set it aside and let them cool for a bit.

Add the rice to the pot with the veggies and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring constantly so the rice doesn't burn, but starts to toast.  Add the white wine and stir until the wine has been absorbed. 

Once the wine is fully incorporated, pour in enough chicken broth to just cover the rice.  Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom or burning.  The broth should bubble a bit, but should not be boiling.  After the broth is absorbed, add more broth, just enough to cover the rice and repeat the process until the rice is tender and cooked.

While the rice is cooking, put your sweet potatoes into a bowl and mash until smooth.  Taste and re-season to your preference.  I added more Chipotle powder to kick up the spice factor. Don't forget to keep stirring your rice, though!

Once your rice is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed (you may need more or less than 4 cups of chicken broth depending on your rice), turn the heat down to low and stir in the sweet potatoes one scoop at a time.  My potatoes made about 1 1/2 cups mash and I used it all.  If your potatoes were very big you may not want to use it all. Stir well until the sweet potatoes are well incorporated.  Keep stirring and let it cook for a few more minutes to let the flavors mingle. 

Add the grated Parmesan and half of the cooked bacon, mix well, and turn off the heat. Taste and re-season as needed.  Garnish with Parmesan, bacon and some fresh herbs like sage or parsley.  

Baked Potato Shepherd's Pie

I love comfort food.  So much that I wish it was a cold season almost all the time because my favorite feeling is being cold, putting on a warm sweater, leggings, and big socks and settling down with a warm mug of soup or digging into a hot meal - I know, I'm so basic, don't hate.

In any case, it rained in Austin today and I felt a cool breeze so I immediately put a sweatshirt on (and started sweating a little) and walked to the grocery store to pick up food to make a comfort food feast for dinner.

Chanel had suggested Shepherd's Pie or Loaded Baked Potatoes - I'm terrible at choosing, so I made both.  The concept is really simple, it's a little time consuming for a weekday dinner I suppose; it probably took an hour start to finish before we were sitting down eating.

I kept it simple and "baked" my potatoes in the microwave - you probably need to do it 5-7 minutes per potato.  So if you are doing three potatoes at a time (more than that won't fit in my microwave) you poke each potato all around with a fork, put them in the microwave, cover them with a damp paper towel, and microwave on high for 15-20 minutes.

While I cooked the two batches of potatoes I was able to cook the bacon and make the sausage and veggie filling.  This was a much better use of time than wrapping them in foil and waiting an hour while they did their thing in the oven. The "Shepherd's Pie" filling was a simple variation on the standard ground beef, peas and carrots.  My kid's seem kind of burnt out on peas this week, so I decided to mix it up and chop some broccoli really small, saute it with onion and garlic, then add ground sausage instead of beef (I love all the extra flavor), season it with a bit of sage and basil, thicken it with a little gravy and it was ready to go.  I think the standard beef, peas and carrots would be divine though and you could make the gravy the same way.  Use your imagination!

I made the mashed potatoes with cream, butter, salt, pepper, broth, and some shredded cheese. Once that was mixed up, its all assembly!  Line your scooped out potatoes with a little bit of mashed potatoes, then fill with meat and veggies, sprinkle a little cheese, top with heaps of mashed potatoes, cheese, bacon, and green onions.  Bake till the cheese is melty and enjoy!

Baked potato shepherd's pie

Serves 6

ingredients:

• 6 medium-large russet potatoes
• 2 sticks of butter, divided
• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small white onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped small
• 1 lb. ground sausage
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tsp. ground sage
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 2 tbs. flour
• 1 -2 cups beef broth, divided
• 1/2 cup or more heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 1 lb. bacon, cooked, drained and diced
• 1 bunch (6-8) green onions, green parts sliced

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Begin cooking your potatoes in the microwave. Rinse your potatoes and poke them all over with a fork.  Fit as many in your microwave as you can comfortably (don't stack them - I only fit three) and cover with a damp cloth or paper towel.  Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes per potato - my two batches of three potatoes each took 20 minutes. As the first batch is done, remove them and set them on a cookie sheet to cool.

While your potatoes are baking and cooling, make the filling.  In a large pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt three tbs. of butter.  Add the garlic and onion and saute until translucent and fragrant.  Add another 2 tbs. of butter and then add the broccoli.  Season with salt, pepper and the sage and basil.  Saute gently for a few minutes until warmed.

Push the veggies to the side and add the ground beef to the pot.  Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, break up the sausage as it cooks, working it into the veggie mix.  Once the meat is all broken and cooked, stir to combine evenly with the veggies. 

Sprinkle the flour over the sausage mixture and stir until coated and combined.  Slowly add 1/2 cup of beef broth, stirring to create a thick gravy holding the sausage mix together.  If you want it with more gravy, stir in more broth until its the consistency you like.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the potatoes.  With the potatoes cool enough to touch, slice the very top layer off the potatoes and scoop out the middle, leaving 1/4 inch of potato lining to skin to hold it together.  Fill a large mixing bowl with the scooped out potatoes and set the six remaining skins on a cookie sheet.

Add 6 tbs. of butter to the potatoes in the bowl with some salt and pepper.  Using a hand mixer, beat the potatoes on low.  Slowly add the heavy cream a little at a time.  I like the potatoes to be more the consistency of a fluffy paste, not runny, so add just a little at a time to make sure there isn't too much liquid.  Once that is well combined, add 1/4 cup (or more) beef broth and mix.  Finally, whip in a good handful of shredded cheese.  Set aside.

Finally assemble the potatoes.  Using a spoon, line the inside of the potato skins with a thin layer of mashed potatoes. Next, fill the rest of the potato up with the sausage and broccoli mixture (evenly distribute the mix among all six potatoes).  Top with a sprinkle of cheese.  Top the potato with heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, then shredded cheese, bacon, and green onion.

Arrange the assembled potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and gooey.  Serve immediately.

White Russian Casserole

I don't know if this is a casserole as much as it is a family-sized sandwich.  You put it together like a sandwich but in a casserole dish and then you bake it to crispy, melty deliciousness. 

The Inspiration for this came from a sandwich I ate all the time in high school back home in New York.  There was a restaurant down the road from my mom's house, The Katonah Bar and Grill (which has since been renamed Oliver's and the menu is different), and they had a sandwich on the menu, the White Russian.  I'm not entirely sure why it was called that, but it was my favorite.

It was layers of turkey, ham, bacon, cheese and Russian dressing in between buttery-toasted rye bread.  They served it with beer battered french fries and a pickle.  I highly recommend the pairing - however, I didn't have any fries to go with this dinner.

This is honestly one of the easiest, cleanest meals I've ever put together.  With the exception of a bowl for melted butter and a cutting board, all you need is a knife and a casserole dish.  Woohoo! A meal that requires practically no clean-up!

This would also be a great dish for a winter potluck of sorts - a football party or something.  Its basically the epitome of a bar food casserole. 

Anyway, back to making it.  You butter the bottom of your dish, then layer like a sandwich: rye bread (topped with a little butter), provolone cheese, ham, turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, rye bread (a just a bit more butter).  Cover it with some foil so it doesn't burn while the cheese melts, bake it for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Uncover it and bake for 5 more minutes to toast up the bread on top. It's that easy! Enjoy!

White Russian Casserole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 tbs. butter, melted
• 10 slices of Rye bread, cut in 1-inch squares
• 4-6 slices of Provolone Cheese, cut in 1-inch squares
• 8 oz. deli sliced ham, cut in 1-inch squares
• 8 oz. deli sliced turkey, cut in 1-inch squares
• 1 lb. bacon, cooked, and diced
• 4-6 slices of Swiss Cheese, cut in 1-inch squares
• Russian dressing

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the bottom of a 12x9 casserole dish with the melted butter.  Layer half the bread on the bottom of the dish, brush with butter.

Layer the Provolone cheese on top of the bread, followed by the ham, then turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese. 

Drizzle Russian dressing over the entire casserole (amount to your preference).

Top with the remaining rye bread, brush with butter.  Cover the casserole with aluminum foil.

Bake, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, until top layer of bread is toasted golden.

Bacon-Gruyere Cavatappi

Cheese is a food group to me.  When the rest of my fridge could be pretty empty, the cheese drawer is full.  When I was pregnant with Townes, the first thing I did was call our favorite French Restaurant, Justine's, in a panic that their triple-creme brie wasn't pasteurized (it is, thank goodness).  When I am at the grocery store with Chanel and I ask, "do we need cheese?" she just laughs at me.  You get the picture - cheese is a big deal.

My kids know it too.  We don't just eat American cheese - which has its throne in the crockpot to make queso.  But Townes has always loved brie spread on a cracker, or feta in his eggs, or blue cheese in a lobster beignet (not that he can even say, beignet).  So when I am feeling like a cheesey comfort food staple like mac and cheese we go one of two routes: 1. we make Annie's white cheddar shells with extra butter and some cream (SO GOOD) and maybe some peas and carrots thrown in or 2. I make some from scratch version with "stinky" cheese so it has a more adult flavor.

This is clearly the latter, since I'm not gonna post a recipe on how to do-up some Annie's (though I totally could if anyone is interested). In my opinion, bacon and gruyere go together so wonderfully.  There is a bitterness to the cheese that is perfectly complimented by the saltiness of the bacon. For this cheese sauce I also tried to liven up that deep flavor in the gruyere with some Worcestershire, horseradish, dry mustard and then smooth it out with cheddar.  Topped with more bacon and some butter bread crumbs, this was a total win.

Bacon-Gruyere Cavatappi

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cavatappi pasta (or elbows)
• 1 lb. thick cut bacon, diced
• 1 small white onion, grated
• 1 tbs. butter
• 1 tbs. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish (optional)
• 3 tbs. flour
• 2 cups milk
• 8 oz block of orange cheddar, freshly grated
• 6 oz block of gruyere, freshly grated
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• Green onions or chives, chopped for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large sauce pot or dutch over, boil water with salt and a dash of olive oil (to prevent sticking), cook pasta to the al dente directions.  Rinse your pasta under cold water in a colander and set aside.

Empty the pot and return it to the stove.  Cook all the bacon in the pot over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.  When crispy, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Pour the lose bacon fat from the pot into a heat safe container and set aside, do not wipe out or rinse your pot. 

Add the 1 tbs. of butter to the pot over medium-high heat.  Saute the grated onion until translucent.  Add the garlic powder, dry mustard, Worstcheshire, salt and pepper and horseradish.  Whisk until mixed.  Add the flour and stir until evenly coated.

Immediately add the milk, whisking to incorporate smoothly. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the cheddar and gruyere. Turn off the heat and stir until creamy and blended.

Add the pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce.  Reserving a small handful for topping, add the cooked bacon to the pasta and cheese.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x12 casserole dish.  Melt the 2 tbs. butter in a microwave safe dish and then stir in the bread crumbs.  You may need to add more  if you want them a little drier, but its your preference. 

Chop the remaining bacon into small bits and add to the bread crumbs.  Top the pasta with the bread crumbs and bacon.

Bake until the breadcrumbs are just browned and the casserole bubbles.

Remove and top with chopped green onions or chives.