Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Chicken and Veggie Risotto Bake
I like rice. I love risotto. I enjoy making risotto and do so often when I it’s cool outside. For some reason I make it a lot less in the summer. Until now…as part of the Taste Maker program through Food Buzz I received four bags of Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites from Birdseye. I was excited to open box to take a look at these new flavors of steamer bags. All four varieties sounded awesome and I truly had a hard time deciding which I would use for a post. For this dish I chose the Primavera Vegetable Risotto. It has carrots and peas in a creamy Parmesan sauce. I chose to add some green beans, just to add a little more veggies in the mix.
I’m a fan of from-scratch cooking but sometimes a little help from the store is a much-needed and much-welcomed change of pace. Even with help from the store, I like to jazz it up a bit. I sort of made this into a “chicken and rice casserole” if you will. If you are my family member and reading this, you know that I’ve always loved chicken and rice casserole. I still love chicken and rice casserole. Here is my grown-up, healthified (is that a word?) version of one of my childhood favorites:
Chicken and Veggie Risotto Bake Recipe
as shown, the recipe serves 2 but could easily be doubled
Ingredients:
1 bag Birdseye Vegetable Primavera Risotto
2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup green beans
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Prep:
Follow the instructions on the back of the Birdseye steamer back to cook the risotto.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken to the hot oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat, 6-7 minutes until done. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round casserole dish or two smaller ramekins. Empty the steamer bag into the dish and mix in the chicken and green beans. In a small bowl, mix the panko with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle the mixture over the top. Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes, until the cheese is melty. Turn the broiler on and continue to bake until the topping is golden brown. Watch carefully so that the panko doesn’t burn.
Remove and enjoy. I think this would also be really great with some peppers and onions sautéed with the chicken.
Yum! I always appreciate a little help from the freezer section especially with veggies. I like that I can have a variety and they won't go bad. I cook fresh too but these steamer bags are great!
I like this new flavor of Steamfresh-it is so versatile and like you, we love risotto. Cool that this recipe is for individual servings! Thanks for sharing.
I've never tried the Steamfresh risotto, but it looks really good! I love risotto!
I agree, LOVE risotto…it is so delicious. I like your idea here, it is definitely something I would enjoy!
How fun I ate the exact same bag last night! But I didn't feel like cooking much so I just served it over some shredded chicken with a little garlic powder. Yours looks much tastier.
Nice idea to bake the risotto with breadcrumbs. Yum.
this dish sounds so comforting! i love it:) thank you for sharing:)
This looks so delicious, love the flavors! 🙂
Sounds great! I've only tried the creamed spinach thus far and it was awesome. Now I have high hopes for this flavor too! Thanks and great review.
Perfect for those nights you don't have time to do the from scratch thing! Love the cheesy topping~
Wow, that looks fantastic! And perfect for weeknights! Yum!
What a great idea! So creative with just a normal side dish!
I love to take convenience food items and rework it into something special. In this you have succeeded.
Cassie…I could live off of risotto alone. But you are right…sometimes you just don't have a lot of time to be in the kitchen! Love the addition of chicken and green beans! Not to mention the cheesy topping! Nice! : )
I'm so glad you liked this product! I see it in the supermarket but haven't taken the plunge yet. Sounds like a ringing endorsement 🙂
This looks delicious! I love that you came up with something SO original with it!
Looks wonderful! I'm a frozen veggie junkie too. We do shopping once every two weeks, so by the second week it's mostly pantry and freezer. I will have to give it a try!
oooooh, looks delicious!! I, too, am a fan of risotto…and I almost always pair it up with some chicken. 🙂
SOLD. I love steam fresh bags, in college I would eat one for dinner!
Definitely a family-friendly dish! Who doesn't need a little extra help sometimes!
Hi Cassie! I love rice and I love risotto too! This is really a great idea. I usually don't use frozen veggies too, but once in a while I realize I don't have any veggies to cook. And I can make this beautiful yummy risotto with it, then I'm in! 🙂 Really look delicious…
Every now and then its great to have one of those bags in the fridge to pull out in a pinch. This sounds great.
Yummy! I cut corners too sometimes.
Timesavers like this recipe are so nice! Thank you for sharing!
Cassie, I'm loving what you did with this recipe! I'm big fan of home-made risotto but in the summer a little help from a bag is just the thing sometimes!
Toast some bread crumbs over a casserole like yours and it's comfort food at its best. I'm still dreaming up what to do with the Steamers I have. Love your idea!