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I've made this recipe as a sandwich with traditional chicken breast before, recipe here, but this time I used ground chicken to really capture the burger essence. By rolling the ground meat into a delicious seasoned breadcrumb mixture you end up with a perfectly crispy exterior and juicy inside. Top with your favorite sauce and melty mozzarella. A ciabatta roll would make for a delicious bun here. I used a corner piece of a delicious loaf of bread we had leftover and while it was delicious it made for a messy meal. The real secret here is in the meat mixture. The basil and tomato paste PACK in the flavor. So much so I may start adding some to my meatball recipe! Chicken Parm Burger 4 Servings | Cook time: 20 minutes Notes: Cheesey chicken parm and a juicy burger walk into a bar… Ingredients: 1 lb ground chicken 1 tsp basil paste 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1 tbsp tomato paste Salt and pepper 1 cup marinara sauce 2 oz mozzarella cheese 4 hamburger, sandwich rolls or crusty bread Directions: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine ground chicken, basil paste, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Form 4 patties out of the ground chicken mixture. On a plate, whisk together breadcrumbs and remaining 2 tbsp parmesan cheese together. Carefully place the patties in the bread crumb mixture, flipping until fully coated. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick olive oil spray. Arrange the burger patties and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. After 20 minutes, remove the burger from the oven and spoon 1/4 cup marinara sauce over each of the burgers. Top with fresh mozzarella cheese. Turn the oven on to broil and return the burgers to the oven to cook another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the burgers cooked through. Serve on a crusty bun alongside a fresh salad, zoodles or pasta. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used. Nutrition does not include roll. For a standard burger bun estimate about 140 calories (25 carbs, 5 protein, 2.5 fat).

This is a delicious way to pack in extra vegetables into some already scrumptious sweet potatoes. For this I used golden beets which blended in perfectly with the sweet potatoes but if you want a punch of pink, feel free to use traditional beets. The spicy buffalo flavor is the perfect contrast to the sweet beet and potato puree. Served with a simple roasted vegetable like asparagus and you have a well balanced, colorful and nutritious meal! For this recipe I like to use sockeye salmon because I prefer the flavor but you could use farmed salmon instead if that's your preference. Buffalo Salmon with Sweet Potato Beet Puree 4 Servings | Cook time: 15 minutes Notes: This recipe could not be easier. Just season the salmon and bake it. I love this golden beet, sweet potato mash up, they’re perfectly sweetened and absolutely delicious. A great way to get littles to eat some extra veggies too! If you prefer honey over maple syrup, go for it, I just love the maple flavor with the sweet potato. Ingredients: 24oz salmon (I prefer sockeye but farmed salmon works as well) 1 tbsp blackened or buffalo seasoning 1 tbsp hot sauce 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks 4 golden beets, peeled and chopped into chunks (slightly smaller chunks than the potato) 1/2 tbsp maple syrup 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp butter 2 tbsp milk 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt 1/2 tsp salt Directions: Preheat oven to 400F. Season salmon with blackened or buffalo seasoning. Drizzle with hot sauce. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to distribute the hot sauce all over the salmon. Add the sweet potato and beet chunks to a pot and cover with water. Bring it to a boil, salt and let it cook 15 minutes or until fork tender. While the potatoes cook, put the salmon in the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Once the potatoes and beets are fork tender, drain the liquid, reserving about 1/4 cup, leave the veggies in the pot. Add the syrup, cinnamon, butter, milk, yogurt and salt to the veggies and mash until well combined. I like to mash with a potato masher and then finish with an immersion blender for a creamy consistency. If additional liquid is needed, add reserved water 1 tbsp at a time or more milk as needed. Serve the salmon over the potatoes alongside roasted vegetables. For dressing lovers, you can never go wrong with some blue cheese crumbles or dressing on top. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

As someone who grew up weary of mushrooms I'm always looking for new and fun ways to try them. This recipe swapped bell peppers for shrooms in the similar stuffed peppers recipe. Feel free to add rice or quinoa to the mix but I prefer to serve it on the side and leave more room for the other delicious flavors in the mushroom. This recipe makes about 2 mushrooms per serving depending on the size and depth of your mushrooms. Be careful when cleaning and scooping out the flesh in the mushrooms as they are delicate and could break easily! Taco Stuffed Mushrooms 4 servings | Cook time: 20 minutes Notes: This is enough filling to fill 8 mushrooms. Ingredients: 20 oz lean ground beef 1 onion (100g), diced 1 large or 2 small bell peppers (200g), diced 1 large zucchini (200g), diced 1 tbsp low sodium taco seasoning 1/4 tsp salt 2 cloves garlic, minced 2-4 tbsp water 1/2 cup shredded cheese 1/2 cup salsa 8 portabella mushrooms, wiped clean, stems and gills removed Directions: Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large sauté pan with nonstick olive oil spray and heat over medium heat. Add meat to cook breaking up as it browns. Once cooked add onion, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, salt and taco seasoning and cook until the veggies are soft. If needed add in 2-4 tbsp water to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Stir in salsa and cook until most of excess moisture has absorbed. Turn off heat. Wipe down mushroom caps and use a spoon to carefully scoop out excess flesh in mushroom. Arrange mushrooms on a baking sheet. Spray mushrooms with olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Divide taco filling evenly throughout the shells. Bake for 10 min. Remove from oven and top mushrooms with cheese before returning to the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Optional: finish by broiling for 2 minutes to brown the cheese slightly. Serve warm, alongside rice and greens. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

Holy cow. These chicken thighs have SO. MUCH. FLAVOR. And the mushrooms soak up all of that flavorful gravy for a juicy bowl of deliciousness best served over creamy mashed potatoes and alongside crusty bread. I use white vinegar instead of wine here which I prefer since I don't always have an open bottle of wine or marsala wine on hand. I mean just look at that deep brown gravy. You know there's so much flavor in there when it's a deep brown color. The juices of the chicken thighs, mushrooms, onions, garlic, it all makes for huge flavor. Instead of whisking flour into the sauce, I prefer to coat the chicken in seasoned flour to get an extra crispy sear before letting the chicken finish cooking in the sauce. Any excess flour from the chicken helps thicken to the sauce. I promise if you're not a mushroom person, you will still love them in this recipe. They're really just there to soak up all the flavor of the sauce in the end. Marsala Chicken Thighs (No Wine) 4 Servings | Cook time: 20 minutes Notes: It’s rare I have marsala wine on hand so I like how this recipe replaces the wine with white vinegar! I also love using chicken thighs instead of breasts in this recipe for extra flavor. Ingredients: 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp flour 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 onion, diced (~50g) 1/4 cup almond milk 1 tbsp white vinegar 1/2 tsp dried ground mustard 1 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs 8 oz baby Bella mushrooms 2 cups chicken bone broth (or low sodium chicken broth) Directions: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add mushrooms to the dry pan in a single layer. Cook the mushrooms undisturbed until they start to sweat, 2-3 minutes. Toss the mushrooms and continue cooking until nearly all of the moisture has escaped the mushrooms, 5ish minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and place between two paper towels to get any remaining moisture out. Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper on a plate. Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture until well coated. Return the pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add the chicken thighs to the hot oil to sear. Sear the first side for 3-4 minutes, flip and sear another 3 minutes or so. Once the chicken gets brown and crispy they will be ready to flip and shouldn’t stick too much. The chicken should be brown but not cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the butter, onions, garlic, thyme, dried mustard and more salt and pepper to the pan. Return the mushrooms to the pan as well. Sauté everything until the onions are soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the vinegar, broth and almond milk to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrap up and flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil and return the chicken to the pan along with any juices. Simmer the liquid for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened but there’s still enough sauce to serve. Stir and spoon the liquid over the chicken occasionally. Serve the chicken over creamy mashed potatoes or pasta. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

I love discovering that well known asian dishes can be recreated at home so much healthier and so much easier than you would expect! The Brussels sprouts in this dish take it to another level. You can't leave them out. If you absolutely can't imagine eating Brussels (even though you should at least try them) you can swap them for broccoli here. I love that this dish is a little bit spicy but not crazy heat. The red peppers and Brussels bring perfect freshness to the saucy dish. It also comes together so quickly. You can even roast the vegetables in advance making this 30 minute meal, a 10 minute one! For the chili garlic sauce I use the huy fong brand. I got it at a specialty asian grocer near my house but they also sell it at many stores, like target or amazon. Kung Pao Chicken and Brussels 4 Servings | Cook time: 30 minutes Notes: I love this recipe! It’s comes together so easily and is reminiscent of your favorite takeout staple but with a fresh, green twist! Ingredients: 20 oz chicken breast 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, divided 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or 1 tsp dried ginger 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (I use huy fong) 1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 lb brussels sprouts, halved 1/2 tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper 1/2 cup water 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch Directions: Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick olive oil spray and place Brussels cut side down in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spray with non stick olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft and tops have browned. Dice chicken into 1” cubes Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a sauté over medium heat. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Sear for 2-3 minutes before tossing and searing another 2 minutes. Add in remaining 1/2 tsp sesame oil along with bell pepper, shallot, ginger and garlic to sauté for 2 minutes. Once veggies start to soften, stir in the chili garlic paste to cook for a minute or so. Add in soy sauce, rice vinegar, water and brown sugar along with the cooked Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle everything with the arrowroot starch and toss to mix into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thick. Serve immediately alongside rice. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

My husband and I love to use Valentine's Day as a reminder to slow down, write a nice card and enjoy a delicious meal together. While in theory you should always make time for that, sometimes you need an extra reminder! This meal was a great way to squeeze in a fancy meal on a Tuesday when we both had busy long days and a laborious meal was not going to fit on the calendar. Lobster always feels decedent but this method takes just 6 minutes to cook fancy lobster tails! I love using lemon zest in pasta recipes, it gives such a strong lemon flavor without adding too much excess liquid to the recipe. For this recipe I went with fresh linguine which has amazing texture compared to dried but of course dried pasta works too. Pro tip: fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried and feels far fancier! Creamy Lemon Lobster Pasta 2 Servings | Cook time: 15 minutes Notes: The perfect quick yet decedent valentines day feast for 2! If you don’t have lobster, shrimp is an easy alternative (or chicken if you don’t eat seafood). Pairs well with chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine. Ingredients: 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 cups water Salt and pepper 1 tsp olive oil 2 tbsp half and half 1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk 1 shallot, diced 1 tbsp lemon zest 4 small lobster tails or 2 large 1 bunch asparagus (200g), chopped into 2” chunks with the ends cut off 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups spinach 4oz fresh or dried linguine pasta 2 tbsp grated parmesan, plus more for topping Optional: 400g spiraled zucchini noodles Optional: 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Directions: Bring white wine vinegar, thyme sprigs and water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add lobster tails to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes or until the lobster turns bright red and the tails start to curl. Remove with tongs and set aside to cool. Drain the water reserving about 1/2 cup for later. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt liberally and cook pasta according to provided directions. Strain and set aside. Remove the lobster meat from its shell by cutting down the belly of the lobster tails, removing the meat and cutting it into chunks. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in the pan and add asparagus, shallot and garlic to the pan along with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies soften. If using, add zoodles to the pot and cook for another minute or so. Add lemon zest and toss to combine. Add half and half, almond milk and reserved pasta water. Bring sauce to a boil and add in spinach leaves and chopped lobster meat. Once the sauce has reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes, fold in pasta and cook another few minutes. Season with more salt and pepper as needed. Once sauce has reached desired consistency, turn off heat and add in parmesan and, if using, red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. Serve immediately garnished with extra parmesan and fresh herbs and lemon, as desired. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

Officially one of my favorite fall recipes and it comes together in one pot, the best!! Between the juicy chicken, caramelized mushrooms and onions and melted cheese, this recipe can do no wrong. Who knew French Onion Soup could get better? Try adding chicken and pasta but keeping alllll the cheese. As I say in the recipe, I typically don't love mushrooms and typically ask for no mushrooms in omelets, etc but I was looking to give them another chance because I want to like them. OMG I LOVED them in this recipe! Seriously they just soaked up all of the yummy French onion soup flavor and made the recipe so much better. While the chicken isn't necessary I think it only enhances this recipe. Searing at the beginning flavors the broth and veggies, plus it adds great protein. I recommend serving this with a crusty baguette to really hit home on that French onion soup flavor. One Pan French Onion Pasta with Chicken 4 Servings | Cook time: 25 minutes Notes: For some who is not typically a mushroom person, they were my favorite part of this recipe, so if that’s you - don’t skip them! Ingredients: 8 oz whole grain penne 4 oz cheese (I used 2 oz mozzarella and 2 oz provolone but gruyere or swiss would also be good) 3 cups low sodium beef broth 2 cups water 20 oz chicken breast (~2 large pieces) 1 large onion (~400g), sliced thinly 12 oz baby Bella mushrooms 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp flour 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp fresh thyme 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 cup half and half Salt and pepper Directions: Heat a a large oven safe skillet/dutch oven over medium low heat. The pan should be dry and oil free. Add the mushrooms to the pan in one layer. Let cook a few minutes until they start to sweat. Toss around a bit and let sear some more. Continue this process until nearly all of the water has been removed from the mushrooms. This process removes any waterlogged water and ensures the mushrooms are not chewy. After about 6 minutes of sweating, remove and set aside to dry on a paper towel folded on a plate. Use a cup of water to deglaze the pan scraping up any bits. Pour off into a separate bowl. Add olive oil to the pan/pot over medium heat. Add chicken to sear and season the top with salt and pepper. After 3-4 minutes, flip and season the second side. Sear another 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside, the chicken will not be cooked through yet. Deglaze the pan with another 1 cup water. Scraping up any chicken bits from the bottom and pour off into a bowl. Save this water for later. Spray pan with nonstick olive oil spray and add the onions over low. Cover and let cook 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add salt to the onions, cover and cook another 3 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, cover and cook another 3 minutes. Add this point the onions should be very soft and translucent. Add butter to the onions and sauté a minute or so. Dice the chicken into pieces and return chicken and mushrooms back to the pot with the onions. Sauté a few minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked. Add in the flour and toss to cover with flour. Cook the flour a minute or so and then whisk in the beef broth and 2 cups of set aside water. Stir in the pasta and bring the mixture just to a simmer. Cover and let cook on medium-low for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and stir. Repeat for about 15 minutes total or until the pasta is al dente and about 3/4 of the liquid has thickened. You want the mixture to be a little soupy. For me, the more sauce the better so add additional beef broth if needed. Turn off the heat, whisk in the half and half and fold in half of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining half of the cheese on top and turn the oven on to broil. Transfer the pot to the oven to broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve warm topped with some fresh parmesan and alongside crusty bread or a salad. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

Everyone is out here cutting up chicken breasts into chunks for chicken nuggets but I'm telling you, you're doing it wrong. This recipe captures that McDonald's chicken nugget texture, we all love, in a healthy way! The breading is key to a crispy nugget. By mixing breadcrumbs with corn meal and delicious spices we make sure the crust is crispy and the chicken is juicy. By using ground chicken instead of traditional chicken breasts cut up into nuggets, we can mix flavor into the filling and ensure consistency throughout the nugget. I like to flavor both the meat mixture and the breading with a variety of spices. First, form them into little meatballs before using the palms of your hands to make the classic nugget shape. Pro tip: use nonstick spray on your hands to avoid the meat mixture sticking too much! I use my air fryer to make sure the nuggets are juicy and the crust crispy but if you don't own an air fryer, you can make these in the oven as well! Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets 16 nuggets | Cook time: 15 minutes Notes: You can also make these in an oven. Arrange the nuggets on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and bake at 375F for 15 minutes (on convection if you have it). Ingredients: Filling: 1 lb ground chicken 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tbsp milk 1 tbsp egg whites 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Breading: 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 2 tbsp cornmeal 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Directions: In a shallow dish whisk together the breading seasonings. In a bowl, combine filling mixture together until just combined. Form 16 “meatballs” out of the mixture. To avoid excess sticking, I recommend spraying your hands with non stick olive oil spray before forming the balls. Then, use the palms of your hands to shape the balls into nuggets or little logs and roll them in the breading until fully coated in the breading. Transfer coated nuggets to an air fryer and spray with nonstick olive oil spray. Cook at 375F for 15 minutes, flipping and respraying halfway. Remove the nuggets from the air fryer and serve with your favorite dipping sauce! These would also be delicious tossed in buffalo or barbecue sauce! For an extra kick add 1/8 tsp cayenne to the chicken mixture. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

Don't sleep on tahini! It's like a sophisticated peanut butter. The perfect flavor drizzle to tie the salmon and collard green together! I don't know about you but I prefer collard greens with none of the oil and butter they are traditionally made with. They are so much better with just a little salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice! You only needed a little brush of tahini and lemon juice on the salmon before baking for flavor. I like to drizzle on more tahini over everything after. Tahini Salmon with Collard Greens 2 Servings | Cook time: 15 minutes Notes: Tahini is such an underrated drizzle. Everyone sleeps on tahini. The perfect bite of collard greens, tahini and salmon is delicious! Ingredients: 12-16 oz sockeye salmon 4 cups collard greens, chopped and stems removed 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper 2 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 shallot, diced Directions: Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Add salmon and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together 1 tbsp tahini with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 of the minced garlic. Brush salmon with garlic lemon tahini mixture. I also added some veggies to the baking sheet to roast alongside the salmon. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Heat a large pan over medium heat and spray with oil spray of choice, I used avocado oil. Add collard greens to the pan to sauté. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the greens to cook down about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and diced shallot to the collard greens and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and continue cooking. Remove salmon from the oven served atop the collard greens. Drizzle everything with remaining tahini. I like to serve this with roasted veggies and rice. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

All of the cheesy, saucy perfection of chicken parmigiana but none of the hassle of tenderizing, breading, pan frying, baking, etc that goes into the original. With this alternative, you simply combine all of the ingredients together and bake! For this recipe, we recommend a good quality jarred or homemade marinara sauce. If you're looking for my go to recipe, click here! I baked these in a cast iron skillet that was just large enough to fit all of the meatballs. I found a smaller baking dish like this allows the meatballs to all cook together and the sauce and cheese to melt together. These would be delicious served in a toasted roll with extra cheese or over your favorite pasta. I did half whole grain angel hair spaghetti and half zucchini noodles cooked with extra sauce. Chicken Parm Meatballs 4 servings or 16 meatballs | Cook time: 20 minutes Notes: The first time I made this I didn’t have milk so I used ricotta instead and I may never go back… the meatballs were almost creamy they were so good! Ingredients: Meatballs: 1 lb ground chicken 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 egg 2 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese or milk 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Preparation: 1 cup marinara sauce 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Directions: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl until combined. You want the meat to smell like the spices, add more as you see fit. From the mixture, form 16 meatballs and arrange them in a small cast iron or oven safe dish. Don’t worry about them being super spaced out, it’s better for the sauce and cheese if they’re close together. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and flip all of the meatballs. Pour sauce over and sprinkle cheese on top. Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling and the meatballs are cooked through. If you want the cheese to get a little brown and crispy, turn the oven to broil for the last minute. Serve warm, topped with grated parmesan. I served these over half zoodles/half angel hair pasta tossed with more marinara sauce. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

This soup is every bit delicious as it is healthy. It's also super simple to make! The cauliflower cooks right in the broth, then it all is pureed together to make a flavor packed creamy base for the rest of the soup. I used sweet Italian turkey sausage in this because I love the flavor and it gives a little bit of fat but not a ton. You can use traditional sausage, chicken sausage or a spicy sausage in this recipe - all would be delicious. Kale is the perfect green for this soup. If you don't like kale you could use collard greens, mustard greens or spinach. Personally I prefer kale because it's a heartier green and will hold up in the soup, it won't wilt away to nothing. I like to top this with bacon bits and croutons for an added crunch but they are not necessary. This soup is absolutely perfect on its own. Sausage and Kale Cauliflower Soup 6 Servings | Cook time: 30 minutes Notes: The “broth” of this soup is made rich with pureed cauliflower. It tastes so creamy and delicious with very little cream! I love adding sweet Italian sausage here but spicy or chorizo would be perfect too if you like it hot! Ingredients: 6 links sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings, if applicable. 1/2 tsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped (200g) 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 12oz bags frozen cauliflower florets (10 cups) 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 cups water 6 cups kale, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1/2 cup half and half 1 cup milk or milk alternative 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 6 slices bacon, chopped (I used chicken bacon) Directions: Heat a large pot over medium or turn instant pot on to sauté. Add sausage links to put and use a wooden spoon to break up into ground sausage. Sauté until sausage is cooked, remove from pot and set aside. Add olive oil, onions, salt and pepper to the pot to sauté for 2 minutes. Once the onions start to soften add the garlic to sauté another minute or until fragrant. Add the frozen cauliflower florets, chicken broth and water to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and set to cook for 15 minutes. If using a pot, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Allow instant pot to naturally release 5-10 minutes, remove lid and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Once smooth, return the sausage to the pot along with the kale. Cook another 5-7 minutes or until the kale has wilted. Stir in milk and half and half, along with a dash of red pepper flakes. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm topped with bacon bits, fresh cracked pepper and croutons. I cut up some leftover focaccia bread and toasted it in the oven for a delicious flavorful crouton! Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

There's only one thing better than a hearty bowl of creamy risotto on a chilly night, a hearty bowl of creamy risotto on a chilly night made extra creamy with seasonal pumpkin and topped with juicy flavorful chicken thighs. Mushroom and leeks are a dynamic duo in this recipe. The mushrooms are hearty enough to maintain their integrity in a heavily cooked recipe like risotto and the leeks give fantastic flavor while melting into the rice. I use arborio rice for my risotto's and feel you can never have enough liquid, the more liquid and longer it simmers the creamier it is so take your time with this one!! I made all of this in my dutch oven. I like it because it holds a lot but it is also a great pot for covering and letting it all simmer together. I used chicken thighs in this recipe because they don't require much seasoning to bring in huge flavor. Since chicken thighs are higher in fat they don't dry out as easily as chicken breasts meaning they are easier to cook. It's really hard to overcook a chicken thigh, you'd really have to kill it! Mushroom and Leek Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken Thighs 4 Servings | Cook time: 45 minutes Notes: A creamy dreamy risotto absolutely flavor PACKED from mushrooms to leeks to the seasonal favorite pumpkin. We love this topped with juicy chicken thighs but a big bowl with crusty bread would be soo satisfying too. Ingredients: 1 10oz container baby Bella sliced mushrooms 2 tsp olive oil, divided 1.5lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs Salt and pepper 1 shallot, diced 1/2 cup onions, diced 2 leeks, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup Arborio rice 1 tsp butter 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2-3 cups water 1 cup pumpkin purée 2 tbsp parmesan Directions: Heat Dutch oven or large pot with lid over medium. Add mushrooms in a single layer on the dry skillet. Heat until they start to release water. Toss and continue to sauté until nearly all of water have been sizzled off. Place mushrooms aside on a paper towel. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear chicken in olive oil for about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside. Add remaining olive oil along with onions, shallots, leeks and mushrooms. Sauté about 2 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sauté about a minute or until fragrant. Add dry Arborio rice to the pot along with butter to toast the rice. Toast about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow half of the broth to absorb before adding remaining chicken broth 1 cup at a time, allowing the majority of the water to absorb in between. Take your time with this process, let the rice soak up the broth! Add remaining 2 cups of water and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the pot atop the rice. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, cover and turn down to low. Allow to simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove lid and set chicken aside. There should still be some excess liquid with the rice. If the rice is not yet soft and creamy add another cup of water and simmer the rice another 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally until the majority of the liquid has absorbed. Stir the pumpkin purée into the mixture until well combined. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan. Serve warm topped with chicken thighs and extra fresh parmesan. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.