Dinner recipe Archives - The Tasty Fork

Grilled Shrimp with Crunchy Asian Slaw Salad

June 12, 2013 by admin · 8 Comments

I think part of me is still on vacation mode. I’m still living out of my suitcase. The smell of sunscreen is embedded into all of my clothes and I don’t mind. And I’m feeling the need to turn every piece of fruit in the house into some kind of frozen beverage.

I ate a lot of fish while in Florida…but obviously not enough. When I woke up on Monday, I started to day dream about dinner and grilling shrimp wouldn’t leave my mind. I love grilled shrimp for many reasons. It’s always cooks quick, has a pretty presentation and shrimp stands up to just about any marinade.

Besides wanting shrimp, a crunchy Asian salad sounded amazing. (I think I spent too much time in airport restaurants…every menu has their own signature Asian salad.) Most Asian salads are filled with calories — like fried chicken and heavy dressings. I gave the typical Asian salad a make over. It’s filled with cabbage, carrots, green onions, chopped almonds, fresh red pepper, orange slices, spinach and smashed ramen noodles. The dressing is simple. Just mix vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and some honey. I’d eat this salad any day of the week! It can be made ahead of time and the leftovers should hold for 3 days.

To stick with the Asian theme, I came across a marinade which uses ingredients mainly found in the pantry. The fresh lime juice and soy sauce give the shrimp a lot of kick. Be sure to let the uncooked shrimp sit in the marinade for the full 20 minutes. That time will allow the flavors to really set into the shrimp. Considering grilling shrimp only takes 6 minutes, this meal will be on your table in less than 30 minutes.

This Grilled Shrimp with Crunch Asian Slaw Salad was just what I needed to get my healthy eating back on track after a vacation. Eating a meal with lots of veggies and grilled shrimp tasted so much fresher than a restaurant version. My husband loved it, too. This recipe is definitely a keeper and I hope you’ll try it soon!

Grilled Shrimp with Crunchy Asian Slaw Salad

Ingredients

For the shrimp:

2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium, if desired)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 pounds large shrimp, uncooked & peeled

For the salad:

1 package (3 oz) ramen noodle soup mix (any flavor)
1 bag (16 oz) coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
4 medium green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
2 seedless oranges, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach leaves

For the salad dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Place shallots, ginger, garlic, soy, lime juice, and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the green onion and oil. Blend until combined. Season with black pepper, to taste. Place shrimp in a large bowl, pour the marinade over, and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Using skewers, grill shrimp over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat when shrimp are no longer opaque.
For the salad, break up ramen noodles in bag before opening. Discard seasoning packet from soup package. Add noodles and all remaining salad ingredients. Whisk dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Pour over salad. Using tongs, toss salad until the dressing is evenly distributed.
Serve grilled shrimp with salad. If you end up having leftovers, turn this salad meal into a taco! Heat up a corn tortilla and use the shrimp & slaw as a filling. It tastes great!

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Shrimp recipe was inspired by Bobby Flay.

Filed Under: Entree, Fish, Grill, Healthy, Recipes, Salad · Tagged With: Asian salad, Asian slaw, Dinner recipe, easy recipe, grilling recipes, recipe, shrimp

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

May 23, 2013 by admin · 12 Comments

Last Friday, we went out to dinner to a local Thai restaurant not too far from our home. It’s BYOB which is always a perk! The food was great. Service was interesting…. We had two different servers, both didn’t have a handle on what we ordered. It just felt kind of chaotic. In the end, we’ll probably order carry out from them so we don’t have to deal with the service again. Or I can make this Thai Chicken Noodle Salad instead. It was pretty amazing!

There are so many things I love about this noodle salad. It can be served hot or cold. So you can make it and eat it warm. Leftovers can be eaten warm or cold. It tastes great both ways. To cut a corner, I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Not having the extra step of cooking chicken is a total time saver. Especially when you’re super hungry or busy during the week. There are a lot of fresh vegetables in this dish – purple cabbage, jalapeno slices, red peppers, green onions and cilantro. The sauce is super easy too! (Pantry ingredients!!) The rice noodles cook up quick. I bought Thai Kitchen’s Rice Noodles. You can find these noodles in the Asian section of a grocery store.

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad recipe makes a lot…. like tons! It’s perfect if you have a few mouths to feed or if you love leftovers. It can be made ahead and eaten through out the week, too. It’s a quick & easy recipe which competes with anything you can order from a Thai restaurant…and a lot healthier for you! I know I’ll be making this Thai Chicken Noodle Salad a lot this summer. I hope you will do the same!

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken
Salt
8.8 oz box of thin rice noodles (I used Thai Kitchen brand)
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 red pepper, sliced thin
4 green onions, sliced on an angle
2 jalapenos, sliced thin (I left in the ribs and seeds)
1 inch ginger root, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 cup chopped cilantro
Sriracha, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Discard chicken skin. Remove chicken from the bones and shred with your hands.
Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Salt the water. Cook noodles according to directions. When done cooking, drain and rinse noodles with cold water. Set aside.
In a wok, heat sesame oil over high heat. Add red pepper, onions, jalapenos, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and stock. Fold in chicken. Heat the chicken through. Add noodles; mix until well combined. Remove wok from heat. Stir in cabbage and cilantro.
Dinner is ready! Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Serve with Sriracha, if you need additional spice.

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Filed Under: Chicken, Entree, Recipes, Salad · Tagged With: Chicken noodle salad, Dinner recipe, easy dinner, easy recipe, recipe, take out fake out, Thai Noodle Salad, Thai recipe, Thai salad

Family Recipe Friday: Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze

May 10, 2013 by admin · 7 Comments

Happy Friday!! With Mother’s Day being this weekend, I thought I’d share a recipe from one of my Mom’s cookbooks. One of tons of cookbooks. After my Mom passed away, I learned she collected lots of things… black pants, beauty products, boxes of Triscuits. I wouldn’t call it hoarding but more along the lines of forgetting what she had, so she’d buy things thinking she needed it. Same thing went for cookbooks. I stopped off at my parents house last weekend to get some of her cookbooks and I forgot how many she had. I only grabbed a few; the ones that looked the most familiar or most used.

Growing up, my Mom and I would have lunch together when I didn’t have school. We would always have chicken and vegetables…and watch All My Children. This was our routine until I went off to college and had to work during the summer. As I was going through her cookbooks, I had my eye on chicken recipes. Picking a chicken recipe would be perfect for my Family Recipe Friday Series.

Today’s recipe is Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze. Honestly, I have no idea if she made this for us. When it came to dinner, my Mom stuck to 10 different dinners and we really didn’t sway too much from those. That aspect of dinner has probably made me the way I am and not ever wanting to eat the same thing too many times. There is just so much amazing food out there.

Buuuut Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze sounds like something she & I would of made together for one of our afternoon lunches. It’s a light and easy meal. Plus, it only requires one skillet which means easily clean up.

Using boneless skinless chicken breasts makes this meal a healthy option. And by loading it up with a variety of veggies – red peppers, leeks, carrots and potatoes – you have a well rounded meal. I love using vinegar when I cook, but balsamic is my favorite! It gives this chicken recipe a tangy and sweet taste.

This is NOT your average chicken recipe. Chicken with Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze is very flavorful and filling. It would be a great week night dinner, especially when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning up!

Family Recipe Friday: Chicken and Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb baby red potatoes, cut in half
1 small onion, sliced
1/2-1 cup of beef broth
1 leek, well washed and cut into 2 inch long strips
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch long strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and chicken seasoned with salt & pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes (or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees). Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add potatoes and onions to skillet; cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of broth. scraping and loosening brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add leeks, carrots and red peppers. Heat till boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
If the skillet is looking dry, add additional broth. Add garlic and balsamic vinegar. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to pan and spoon sauce over chicken. Lower heat and cover for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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This recipe is from 365 Easy One-Dish Meals by Natalie Haughton.

Filed Under: Chicken, Entree, Family Recipes, Healthy, Recipes · Tagged With: balsamic chicken, chicken, chicken and vegetables, chicken recipe, Dinner recipe, healthy recipe, one skillet meal

Crispy Hunan Chicken – Family Recipe Friday

April 19, 2013 by admin · 18 Comments

Happy Friday!! I’m so excited for the weekend! My husband’s brother and his wife are coming to town! We always have so much fun with them and can’t wait to spend the weekend together! Yay for family!

I came across a Hunan Chicken recipe in my Mother In-law’s recipe box. It was clipped out from a newspaper. (Do newspapers still have recipe sections??) Anyway, the recipe is super old. How do I know?? Well, one of the ingredients listed was MSG. I laughed when I saw it. These days, MSG is considered the devil. Don’t worry, I omitted the MSG from the recipe and it still tastes just fine.

I’m not sure if RuthAnn ever made this recipe but one thing I do know is how much my Swint family loves their Chinese food. Every time I visit Fort Wayne, we always go to their favorite Chinese Restaurant. And let me tell you, I LOVE eating there! The food is always really good and they have the sweetest service. And since I always have a hard time picking what I want, Chinese food is perfect. Everyone orders a dish and we share. I get to taste a little bit of everything instead of eyeing a plate and hoping you’ll offer up your dinner.

Crispy Hunan Chicken tastes just like what you’d order from your favorite Chinese restaurant. The pieces of chicken are perfectly crispy. The sauce is made from scratch and had me licking my plate. It was spicy with a hint of sweetness. Fresh ginger and garlic make the Hunan Sauce better than any kind of those pre-made sauces you can get at the grocery store. Adding fresh red peppers at the end of cooking kept the diced veggies crisp. The only short cut I did take was using 90 second rice. I love a helping hand like that.

This Crispy Hunan Chicken is a restaurant quality recipe YOU can make! It will be on your plate faster than calling your favorite Chinese place and waiting for it to be delivered. Just say “No” to take-out with this meal.

Crispy Hunan Chicken – Family Recipe Friday

Ingredients

1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 4 thighs for 2 people) cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup chicken broth (at room temperature)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp white wine or sherry
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp ginger root, diced
3 drops of sesame or peanut oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper
splash of vinegar
Vegetable Oil, for frying
1 red pepper, chopped
4 green onions, chopped (use the white and green parts)
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Cooked white or brown rice

Instructions

Place chicken in bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of soy sauce, egg and white pepper to taste. Knead as you would dough for about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch and knead again. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together chicken broth and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add soy sauce, wine or sherry, garlic, ginger, oil, sugar, white pepper & vinegar. Set aside.
Heat wok to a high heat. Pour 2-3 cups of oil into wok. Heat oil to 335 degrees. Fry chicken pieces in batches. Do not over crowd the wok or the temperature of the oil will drop. Cook chicken about 7 minutes and then set on a rack. This will keep the chicken crispy and excess oil till drip off. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
Remove all but 1 tsp of oil from the work. Fry green onions and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add crispy chicken, sauce and chopped red pepper pieces. Stir constantly until sauce is thickened. Serve with rice.

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Filed Under: Chicken, Entree, Family Recipes, Recipes · Tagged With: chicken dinner, chicken recipe, Chinese Recipe, Dinner recipe, Easy Chinese, Hunan Recipe, take out recipe

Southwestern Steak & Quinoa Salad

March 7, 2013 by admin · 8 Comments

I love healthy food when it doesn’t taste like healthy food. We all know there is nothing more sad than diet food. Boring salads, bland chicken breasts, pretending that fat free-sugar free pudding is a dessert – No Thanks!

If I’m going to post a healthy salad recipe, trust me, it’s going to be delicious. If you haven’t tried quinoa yet, what are you waiting for?? It’s packed with protein, has lots of fiber and iron. It’s very versatile but I think it pairs great with vegetables. To give quinoa the most flavor possible, I always cook it in some kind of stock. It absorbs the flavor while it’s cooking. Since I was going for a Southwestern vibe for this meal, I added cumin to the stock and I could of eaten the quinoa just like that. Keep that trick in mind if you’re ever looking for a quick side dish. Quinoa + Stock + Seasoning = OMG SO GOOD!

Once the quinoa is cooked, add the Cilantro Lime & Honey dressing immediately along with the vegetables. You can pick your favorites, but the veggies I selected are corn, black beans, avocado, orange peppers, tomatoes, squash and onion.

To make this meal a bit more hearty, I made a citrus marinade for skirt steak. It had a lot of the same flavors that’s in the quinoa salad. If you aren’t familiar with cooking skirt steak, Jaden has an excellent step by step tutorial on The Tasty Kitchen. I highly recommend checking it out!

This recipe is quick and easy! Perfect thing to eat after a busy day. It’s also a meal you can feel good about eating. It’s rich in protein, gluten free, dairy free and visually appealing. It’s so delicious – your family won’t know they’re eating a healthy meal.

Southwestern Steak & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

For The Steak:

1.5 flank steak, trimmed of visible fat
Juice 2 limes
1 tbsp orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp olive oil, divided

For the Quinoa Salad:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups stock
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 small onion, diced
1 squash, chopped
1 (10 oz) can corn, drained
1 (10 oz) can black beans, drained & rinses
1 tomato, diced
1 pepper, any color
1 avocado, diced

Instructions

To make Steak:

1. Season steak with salt & pepper on both sides. Place in a resealable bag. To make marinade, combine lime juice and the next 7 ingredients. Add 1 tsp of oil; stir. Add to bag with steak. Seal and massage bag to coat beef. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight
2. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in a cast iron grill pan on medium. Add steak and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 3 minutes. Slice across the grain into thin slices. Serve with quinoa salad.

To make Quinoa Salad:

1. Make dressing by combining lemon juice, oil, honey & cilantro in a small bowl. Stir and taste; add salt & pepper. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, add stock, cumin and quinoa. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. When all of the liquid is gone, remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and add quinoa to a large bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa.
3. In a skillet coated with cooking spray, add onion and squash. Cook until soft, 8 minutes. Add onion mixture to the bowl with quinoa.
4. Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the quinoa. Fold ingredients until well combined. Salad can be served immediately or kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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Filed Under: Beef, Recipes, Salad · Tagged With: Dinner recipe, easy recipe, quinoa, Salad, steak

Blue Cheese Burgers with Steak Sauce Tomatoes & Onions

February 21, 2013 by admin · 24 Comments

Happy Thursday! Can you believe we have only more week of February left??!! February is my least favorite month of the year. It’s usually pretty grey where I live and besides the Super Bowl, there isn’t much to look forward to. March is on it’s way and I couldn’t be happier… and hopefully we’ll get some 70 degree weather like we did last year!

Along Lake Michigan, March 2012

Since it was so warm last spring, I was able to use my grill a lot. Besides my Vitamix and slow cooker, my grill is another prized possession. There is something fun about cooking outside, the smell of the grill and easy clean up.

I long for those warm days. Earlier this week, Chicago’s windchill was in the negatives. Way too cold to be cooking outside, so I came up with a meal that reminded warm days will be here soon.

Blue Cheese Burgers with Steak Sauce Tomatoes & Onions. There isn’t much to it but when I took my first bite, I felt like this is something I would eat during the dog days of summer. Burgers stuffed with blue cheese. Homemade steak sauce. Freshly sliced tomatoes and onions. Doesn’t it sound like something you’d be eating at a cook out??!

I also made a side of sweet potato chips. I finally used my mandolin slicer for the first time. I’m loving this kitchen gadget, too! There is no way I would take the time to slice super duper thin potatoes with a knife to make chips. Now that I know how to use the mandolin, I feel like the world is my oyster.

If you’re wishing for warm days, I hate to break it to you but Mother Nature doesn’t care what you want. But this Blue Cheese Burger Meal will make you feel like it’s time to slap on the SPF and a tube top… or whatever you like to wear in the summer.

Blue Cheese Burgers with Steak Sauce Tomatoes & Onions

Ingredients

For Burgers:

1lb ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper
Blue Cheese Crumbles
4 Buns, sliced & toasted

For the Steak Sauce Tomatoes & Onions

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
8 oz canned tomato sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 small onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons parsley leaves, chopped

For the Sweet Potato Chips

2 sweet potatoes, pick more round shaped potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

For the burgers, add all ingredients except blue cheese into a bowl and mix with your hands. Shape into 4 patties. Make a hole in each patty and add blue cheese. Reshape patty to seal in the blue cheese. In a skillet, cook patties 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness. When burgers are done, remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes. Place burger on toasted bun and top with Steak Sauce Tomatoes and Onions.
For the Steak Sauce Tomatoes & Onions - in a sauce pan, add vinegar and the next 3 ingredients. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add tomato sauce and whisk in olive oil. Set aside to cool. In a bowl add tomatoes, onions and sauce. Toss to coat and garnish with parsley. Serve on top of burger patty.
To make Sweet Potato Chips - Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice potatoes to be 1/4 inch thick. Add potatoes and all ingredients to a ziplock bag. Shake potatoes and the marinade. When the sliced potatoes are fully coated, place in a single layer on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

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Filed Under: Beef, Burger · Tagged With: beef burger, blue cheese, Chicago, cook out meal, Dinner recipe, recipe, spring, stuffed burger recipe, sweet potato chips

Four Cheese Risotto with Bacon & Caramelized Onions

February 13, 2013 by admin · 30 Comments

A few weeks ago, my husband & I went to a very popular burger bar in Chicago. It’s called Kuma’s Corner — maybe you’ve heard of it…?? It’s known for it’s award winning heavy metal themed burgers, loud music and long wait times. The description I just gave doesn’t give it justice — Kuma’s has serious burger street cred. Just google to see the endless reviews and famous guests they’ve served. (It’s Lady Gaga’s favorite burger joint!)

Besides having the best burgers, they’re also known for their “killer mac n’ cheese.” I think the killer comes from how sinfully delicious this little dish can be. It’s very cheesy and you have the option of picking two toppings. I looked right past the calorie content and picked two of my favorite – bacon and caramelized onions. There are no diet options when eating at Kuma’s…or when ordering mac n’ cheese.

Weeks have passed since eating at Kuma’s. And guess what I can’t stop thinking about?? Killer mac n’ cheese. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I thought making a rich pasta dish using the inspiration from Kuma’s would be a great recipe to share with you. I said last week, there is something about Valentine’s Day which makes me crave Italian food. Mac n’ cheese doesn’t scream romance, but risotto sure does.

I’m not sure what kind of cheese Kuma’s uses for their recipe, so I picked a variety that would go great together. Sharp White Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Cream Cheese and Parmesan Cheese. (FYI – There are no calorie restrictions on special occasions.) The sharpness of the white cheddar could easily stand alone… but by pairing it with monterey jack and cream cheese, the dish is transformed into a creamy and decadent flavor bomb. And of course, by topping the risotto with Parmesan cheese, bacon and caramelized onions, you’ve got a fancy restaurant style meal made in your own home.

Making risotto is a labor of love (and a great arm work-out!). I can’t think of a better way to show someone you care than by making an amazing dinner. This Four Cheese Risotto with Bacon & Caramelized Onions fits the bill. It’s special occasion worthy!

Are you making a special meal or dessert for Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear about it!

Four Cheese Risotto with Bacon & Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, sliced thin
6 cups of stock or broth
Splash of olive oil
12 oz arborio rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine, at room temperature
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 tbsp cream cheese
Pepper, to taste
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

In a large skillet, cook and brown bacon slices. Remove from skillet and place on a paper lined plate. Set aside. Add onions to same skillet and cook in bacon fat. Cook low and slow to caramelize onions. This will take 20-30 minutes. Add a little water if the skillet gets dry. When onions are brown, remove from heat and place on a plate. Set aside.
In a sauce pan, bring stock or broth to a boil. Lower heat to low and cover with a lid.
In the same skillet used for bacon and onions, add a splash of olive oil, rice and garlic. Stir until rice turns a light brown. Pour white white in skillet and stir until all liquid is absorbed.
Using a ladle at a time, pour warmed stock/broth into the rice skillet. Stir until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step until rice is cooked to al dente. (can take up to 30 minutes.) If you run out of stock/broth, just add warm water.
When the risotto is cooked, add cheddar, monterey jack and cream cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and is well combined. Add 1/2 of the onions and bacon to the skillet. Stir into the risotto.
Taste and add pepper. (you won't need salt, trust me!) Top each serving with shredded Parmesan cheese, bacon pieces and onions. Serve warm.

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