If you’re looking for some simple dinner ideas for your busy weeknights, try our hearty and comforting fall-inspired recipes. Our one-pot Creamy Butter Bean Soup and one-pan Chicken Orzo Bake both require minimal prep time and make for easy clean-up afterward. Try adding these recipes to your weekly meal rotation for delicious dinners made simple.
Creamy Butter Bean Soup
INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. butter
1 small shallot, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans butter beans (or great northern beans), plus liquid
¼ cup cream cheese
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 cups spinach
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
Salt
Pepper
Chili flakes
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 3 Tbsp. of butter in a large pot over medium heat until melted. Add the diced shallot and minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, for about four minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add 2 cans of butter beans plus all the liquid from each can to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the beans are softened. Stir in ¼ cup cream cheese until smooth and no lumps remain. Turn off heat and add 3 cups of spinach, 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of chili flakes. Serve alongside your favorite French bread and enjoy!
One-Pan Chicken Orzo Bake
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups dry orzo
2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
2 cups spinach, chopped
½ cup fire roasted tomatoes, diced
½ cup sundried tomatoes in oil
3 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a greased 9-by-13-inch casserole dish, add dry orzo, diced chicken and spinach and stir to combine. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic, thyme, fire roasted tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes (with a bit of the oil that comes in the jar), Italian seasoning, pepper and salt. Carefully pour the liquid mixture over the chicken and orzo in the casserole dish. Make sure the liquid covers all of the dry ingredients. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently stir. Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese to the top and cook for another 5 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through. Serve as is or with your favorite salad or veggie side dish and enjoy! ::
