Welcome this quick and easy Chicken Sausage Risotto with Caramelized Peaches into your weeknight dinner routine. It only takes minutes to prepare and your family will love every bite!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
Say WHAT just happened over here??? I just got hit by a tidal wave and never even saw it coming. I really gotta learn to never turn my back on the ocean…of life. Yes, I’m using an analogy here. The last time I got pummeled by an actual wave was earlier this summer in California when I thought it was a good idea to face five foot waves and a riptide with a Costco boogie board. That ended well.
Back to the present.
Here’s the deal. My kiddos have been back in school for a few weeks now. Both are loving their classes and I’m enjoying my time as a stress free parent while they are gone.
Who am I kidding?! It’s basically a sprint to get anything and everything done from the moment they leave the house to the minute they step off the bus. Then it’s homework, dance, gymnastics, church activities, projects, more cleaning, dinner, reading, bedtime, you name it. Ben anticipates my sigh of relief every night around 11:00 pm when my head finally hits the pillow and I have a moment to relax.
But still, I’m a “stay at home mom” and there is some guilt revolving around that title, assuming that I should do more because I have more time than working moms.
So you can imagine what I felt when I received Emry’s weekly newsletter requesting a volunteer for homeroom mom. We’re almost done with week three of school and no one has stepped up to the plate. We’re a bunch of smart mamas, that’s why!
I’ll admit for a few brief moments I considered emailing the teacher and taking on the responsibility of room mom, and then I remembered kindergarten. In a moment of time I’d like to forget, I volunteered to be Braelyn’s kindergarten room mom. In a nutshell, I was the WORST room mom ever and I praised the day Braelyn was moved to a different classroom and I was consequently “released”.
Lesson learned: I follow, not lead.
Long story short, somehow I got roped into filling in as Emry’s first grade room mom. My volunteering to “help out where needed” somehow transformed into me being nominated as the designated homeroom mom, in which I was way too embarrassed to decline.
Well, this will make for a fun year. Sigh.
I’m just going to have to learn better time management skills. I’ve lived my entire life surviving off of procrastination, and I’m just not sure that will cut it anymore. Our daily schedules are literally packed to the brim, so it’s time I start planning ahead. Planning ahead = less chaos = happy mom = happy kids. At least that’s the formula I’m telling myself.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
But let’s be realistic, this mama can’t just change all at once. And so for those nights that I still choose to procrastinate, this Chicken Sausage Risotto with Caramelized Peaches will come to the rescue.
This one pan meal is quick and easy with little fuss or clean up. It’s perfect for those crazy weeknights where you’re scrambling to get something edible and nutritious on the table.
Although this recipe calls for onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms…feel free to mix up your veggie variety according to what you like. Add quicker cooking veggies (peas, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, etc.) toward the end, though, so they don’t become mushy and overcooked.
I love adding precooked sausage to pasta and rice dishes for added protein. I’ve really enjoyed the variety of dinner sausages that Aidells offers, and stock up on them when I can. For this recipe I used their chicken and apple smoked sausage which is mild and slightly sweet.
Because of the sweetness of the sausage, I thought it would be fun to pair this risotto with some caramelized peaches. The flavor combo was fabulous! Not only did the peaches compliment the flavor of the sausage, but they also tied in with the flavor of the sauteed peppers and earthy thyme. It was an elegant dish indeed!
Now I know risotto may sound intimidating to most. I’m right there with you. I didn’t make it for years because of this very reason. But let me assure you, this chicken sausage risotto with caramelized peaches is nothing short of easy. Just sauté some veggies, add liquid and rice, stir, add sausage, and you’re done. No tears here! You can even omit the caramelized peaches if that stresses you out. You do you!
Risotto traditionally needs to be stirred pretty frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan, but I’ve found that you don’t necessarily need to be a slave to the stove. As you add the liquid, you only have to stir it a few times in the beginning. Once the liquid reduces and you’re close to adding more, that’s when you have to stir more frequently to avoid burning or sticking. Basically, every time I add more liquid, I buy myself some time to work on other elements of dinner: assembling salad, chopping sausage, cutting up fruit, etc.
I promise that if you face your culinary fears and make this chicken risotto with caramelized peaches, you will find that you are more agile in the kitchen that you thought. I’m here to boost your culinary confidence one dish at a time!
So go ahead and procrastinate dinner every once in a while. You’ll find that some of the best things in life come in a pinch.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Gluten Free Chicken Sausage Bell Pepper Pasta
- Gluten Free Italian Sausage Pepper Jack Pasta
- Dairy Free Chicken and Vegetable Risotto
- Risotto Recipe for Beginners
- For the risotto:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup diced onion (about 1 small)
- ¾ cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 small)
- ¾ cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 small)
- ⅔ cup chopped mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 3½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tablspoon fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 lb. chicken sausage, cut into ¼" thick oval rounds (flavor of choice, not ground but large links)
- For the peaches:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 peaches, pitted and skin removed
- pinch of salt
- Prepare all veggies by dicing, mincing, and chopping. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Once pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles, add onion, red and green bell peppers, and mushrooms. Season with about ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to coat. Cook until liquid is reduced, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute more.
- Add rice, white wine, and 1 cup of broth. Stir to combine. Add additional ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until liquid is almost reduced, stirring every 3 minutes or so.
- Add additional cup of broth and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced, stirring every 3 minutes or so. Repeat step with another cup of broth.
- Add last ½ cup of broth, thyme, and sliced chicken sausage. Stir to combine. Cook until liquid is reduced, stirring every minute or so. If rice is not tender enough, add an additional ½ cup broth and cook until liquid is absorbed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- While risotto is cooking (about the last 10 minutes), peel and slice peaches about ½" thick. Heat butter and brown sugar in a skillet over medium low heat. Stir to combine butter and brown sugar while melting. Once melted, increase heat to medium and lay peach slices in pan. Allow peaches to brown and caramelize on each side. This will take about 3 minutes on each side. Season with a pinch of salt.
- To assemble, scoop risotto in a bowl and top with caramelized peaches.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge for up to 1 week.
