Tag: dinner

Succulent chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and fresh spinach dance in a rich parmesan cream sauce over fluffy noodles. This Spinach and Mushroom Noodles with Chicken recipe is weeknight dinner magic!

This recipe takes a little prep since it’s cooking chicken, cutting an onion and mushrooms but it is so worth it! The flavors are fresh and light and this makes a great family meal.

If you are making a fancy dinner, this Minestrone Soup would be a great appetizer with this Italian-inspired dish!

Ingredients

• Cooking oil, I use avocado oil but Olive oil or Canola oil if that’s your thang.
• Chicken breast is my preference for this recipe, but feel free to switch it with chicken thighs or even pork chops would go well with this recipe.
• I’m leaving the seasoning of the chicken up to you! Whatever you normally use in your pantry, just toss it on. If you are unsure just use a little salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, and/or onion powder.
• Pasta! The Farfalle pasta is perfect for this recipe, but fusillini, penne, get creative, or just use whatever you have an extra package of.
• Chop up the onions into thin slivers so they cook up into almost strips, they blend into the pasta well like that.
• Balsamic Vinaigrette, this little splash and pinch of salt at the end of the cooked onions is incredible!
• Crimini mushrooms sliced kind of thick is what I use but feel free to use more exciting options.
• A good handful of fresh spinach adds so much brightness and greens!
• If you don’t have heavy cream just use half-and-half
• Fresh Parmesan cheese is a must!

Cooking the Spinach and Mushroom Noodles with Chicken

1. Starting the noodles first and then just setting them aside helps from having too much going on at once.
2. Slice your chicken breasts or pound them down to about 1/4 inch thick.
3. While your chicken is laid out, season your chicken and coat.
4. I’m a sucker for a non-stick pan and I still like to add a couple tbsps of oil. Once your oil is hot add your chicken. Try not to flip your chicken breasts til you see it starting to cook on the sides and the edges are turning white.
5. Once your chicken is cooked and beautiful, set it on a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil to keep it juicey and warm.
6. Add your onions to your warm pan and add a couple tbsps of water to deglaze the pan. Low and slow is very important for perfectly caramelized onions.
7. Once the onions are finally done, add the splash of balsamic vinaigrette and a pinch of salt. Make sure to take some good sniffs of the depths of scents at this point. Then move them into a dish to free up your pan.
8. Add your garlic and mushrooms. Your house will smell amazing at this point! Cook them for about 2 mins just to let the garlic become fragrant and your mushrooms to brown a little bit.
9. Time to add your spinach and let wilt for about 20 seconds.
10. Make sure to turn down the temp at this point because the last thing you want is to overheat your heavy cream and cheese and cause the lactose to separate and make your dish grainy.
11. Once your pan has cooled down to a low setting, add your cream and cheese, add a little salt and pepper to taste.
12. Let the cheese melt and add your noodles and onions and stir til all well incorporated.
13. I like to place this mixture at the bottom of a pasta dish and top with freshly chopped chicken.
14. Perfection! Enjoy!

Need other dinner inspiration? Here are some of my favorites!

Chile Relleno Souffle

Easy Pesto Lasagna

Easy Chicken Enchiladas – 6 Ingredients

Spinach and Mushroom Noodles with Chicken

Print Recipe

Whip up this restaurant-worthy Spinach and Mushroom Noodles with Chicken in under 30 minutes. Juicy chicken, savory mushrooms, and wilted spinach in a velvety parmesan sauce – a family favorite reborn!

• Author: Taylor Fuller
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: About 4 full meal servings 1x
• Category: Family Dinners
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Chicken

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 Chicken breasts, thinly sliced or pounded
• Preferred seasonings for chicken (salt, pepper, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning)

Pasta

• 8 oz of Farfalle pasta, 1/2 a box (or pasta of choice)

Sauce

• 1/2 Onion chopped in slivers
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette
• 4 oz Mushrooms, Sliced
• 1 cup Spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 3/4th cup Parmesan Cheese, preferably freshly grated
• Salt & Pepper

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Instructions

1. Boil pasta til done, drain, and set aside.
2. Coat chicken lightly with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, and/or onion powder.
3. Heat oil on medium/large skillet.
4. Cook chicken breasts on both sides til golden brown, beautiful, and fully cooked (165 degrees). Set aside.
5. In the same pan, you cooked chicken (no need to wash it), add onions, and a couple of tbsps of water. Cook on medium/low til onions smell sweet and caramelized.
6. As far as cooking the onions go..the art of caramelization takes patience. If they dry out, add a couple more tablespoons of water. They will start to turn golden and smell amazing. This process can take 20 mins if you have the time to let it.
7. Once onions have caramelized to tender perfection, add a splash of balsamic vinaigrette and a pinch of salt just til incorporated, remove, and set aside.
8. In the same pan, toss in your garlic and mushrooms. Cook for about 2 mins, then add spinach.
9. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
10. Add noodles and caramelized onions.
11. Cut chicken breast into pieces and serve on top of a serving of noodle mixture.
12. Enjoy!

Notes

Make sure to take a minute to enjoy the smell of those onions after the glazing of balsamic vinegarette and salt. The flavors and scents are so intricate; it’s lovely.

I like to keep the chicken and noodles separate so I can save the leftover chicken for other recipes.

No fancy skills are required, just a love for good food and a Dutch oven ready for action.

This Dutch oven minestrone soup is a symphony of simmered goodness, ready to warm your heart and fill your belly. Ditch the multiple pots and pans – let your trusty Dutch oven work its magic, transforming fresh vegetables, plump beans, and tender pasta into a cozy masterpiece.

In the cold weather of the New Year it’s important to get lots of sunlight and eat lots of warm soup!

This soup, while vegetarian, is filling and can be a whole meal. Add some fresh-baked bread, top with some grated parmesan cheese, or use this soup as a fancy appetizer for a dinner party. I love minestrone by itself as a whole meal, and the last time I made this, my husband and I ate our weight in soup with some fresh French bread! Yum!

Dutch Oven Magic

The Dutch oven has been my best friend since I received it as a gift from my aunt and uncle. It’s the most amazing kitchen tool.

Here is the link to the Dutch oven I have that I make this recipe in regularly!

• The Dutch oven was inspired by brass and copper pots made and used in China more than 2,500 years ago. In the 17th century, a man named Abraham Darby returned home to the Netherlands and patented his design for the “Dutch Oven”
• In 1891, the beautiful, eye-catching enamel coating was added to the oven, and sales quickly spread through Europe.
• Due to its thick walls, Dutch ovens retain heat better than normal pots and work great inside the oven, on the stovetop or even over a campfire.
• The options for cooking with this small appliance are endless. It cooks meat better than any slow cooker ever could, bakes perfectly crispy bread, is perfect for frying, and makes perfect soup.

Minestrone Soup

• Minestrone is an ancient soup that dates back to 30 CE in Rome
• The soup used to be known as a poor man’s soup, as it doesn’t include any of that expensive ol’ meat.
• There were times when minestrone contained everything from turnips and lard to wine and even animal brains.
• Versatility is the beautiful thing about this recipe; feel free to add or replace veggies with…
  • Fava beans
  • Broad beans
  • Mushrooms
  • Asparagus
  • Lentils
  • Cabbage
  • Kale
• Feel free to add protein! Some shredded roasted chicken, cubed cooked steak, or even shredded pork would be delicious in this soup!
• The possibilities are endless!

Grocery List

For this Dutch Oven Minestrone Soup, the ingredient list is probably mostly things you have in the house. The only things I had to pick up were the tomatoes and fancy little noodles

• Vegetable broth, or chicken, if that’s what you have
• Kidney Beans, just 1 regular-sized can
• Onion, I use just 1/2 of one
• Carrots, about 3-4 large
• Celery, 4-5 stalks
• Garlic, 3 cloves
• Diced canned tomatoes
• Italian seasoning
• Ditalini pasta
• Spinach, fresh, just a handful with a rough chop
• Cooking oil
• Salt & Pepper

Cooking the Dutch Oven Minestrone Soup

1. Dice all your veggies first! I’m the worst about this, I’ll be rushing to dice veggies while already sauteing my onions. Don’t be me, haha! Dice your veggies small, as these will be the size they will be when your soup is done.
2. After heating your Dutch oven on medium heat, add your olive oil and then your diced onions.
3. I like to add my carrots before my onions are translucent; the little browning on the carrots adds great flavor. Then, after a min or two, add your celery and garlic. Let that heat through and cook for a few minutes, maybe about 3 mins.
4. Now you can add your 6 cups of broth, the whole, undrained can of tomatoes, the washed kidney beans, and Italian seasoning. Add a little pepper. I skip the salt here cause the broth is salty enough. Just check it at the end to make sure your soup is flavorful enough, or add a little salt then. Let this simmer for about 10 mins.
5. Add your dry pasta and let simmer for 10 mins til pasta is al dente. Feel free to change up the pasta type in this step!
6. A handful of fresh, rough, chopped spinach adds the perfect green and just a little extra nutrition!
7. This soup is one of my favorites, and I hope you enjoy it just as much!

If you make this Dutch Oven Minestrone Soup, please leave a comment and tell me how you enjoyed it!

Dutch Oven Minestrone Soup

Print Recipe

Soup season is here! And what better way to celebrate than with a pot of homemade minestrone? This Dutch oven version is simple to make yet bursting with flavor. Serve it with crusty bread for a satisfying meal.

• Author: Taylor Fuller
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: About 4 full meal servings 1x
• Category: Family Dinners
• Method: Dutch Oven
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 tbsp Olive or Avocado oil

1/2 cup Onion, diced

1 cup Carrot, diced

1 cup Celery, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

15 oz Red Kidney Beans

6–8 cups Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Broth)

28 oz Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes, with juices

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 cup Dry Ditalini Pasta (4oz)

1 cup Spinach, Fresh

Salt & Pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Heat Dutch Oven over medium heat, then coat bottom with cooking oil
2. Add onions and cook couple of minutes til starting to turn translucent
3. Toss in carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 3 mins, til onions are slightly soft
4. Stir in vegetable (or chicken) broth, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and seasonings
5. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 10 mins 
6. Add pasta and cook an additional 10 mins, stirring frequently, or until pasta is cooked to your liking (aim for more al dente because noodles will continue to soften in the liquid)
7. Add fresh spinach at the end of cooking; only needs to cook about a min
8.  Give it one last stir and serve it up in bowls! Enjoy!

Notes

The broth isn’t exact because I usually cook the soup up with 6 cups but then add a cup or two towards the end just because I like more broth! Feel free to be your own chef!