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French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread, Cream Cheese and Mango

By 13 Comments

There are many things to love about this French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread. It’s a make ahead recipe that benefits from an overnight soak in the refrigerator. Pop it in the oven, then bake the next morning for a a crowd pleasing Brunch entree.

Challah bread stuffed with cream cheese and mangos for Mango stuffed french toast.

Here’s What You’ll Love About This French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread

  • Flavor: The flavors are a perfect blend of savory and sweet.
  • Mango: There are just enough mangos in this recipe to compliment the palate and a pop of color for presentation.
  • Creamy Texture: The creamy cheesy texture was divine.
  • Challah Bread: Challah bread is excellent for a French toast casserole because of it’s rich, dense and sturdy texture, which allows it to absorb the egg custard mixture without becoming soggy. Which also results in a crispy exterior and soft custardy interior.
  • Sandwich Style: This stuffed French toast is actually prepared sandwich style. There’s actually no stuffing involved. Adding filling ingredients on top of one slice of bread and then topping with another slice of challah, once baked gives the appearance of being stuffed. This is an easier way to build this recipe.
  • Entertaining: This baked French toast recipe is ideal for entertaining. No standing over the stove making them one at a time. Assembled the night before, everyone can sit down at the table and enjoy breakfast together.
  • Fairly Easy: This recipe comes together fairly easy. It’s easy enough for a beginning cook and interesting enough for the seasoned home chef.
  • Make Ahead: Prepare this the evening before. This dish benefits from an overnight soak in the refrigerator. The bread absorbs the eggy coating and the filling firms up overnight.
  • Credentials: This is a Rick Bayless recipe. Always reliable. Always delicious.

What Bread Is Best For A French Toast Casserole?

My vote goes for Challah Bread. And that’s what we used whenever we made French toast in Culinary School. Here’s Why:

  • Richness and Flavor: Challah is an “enriched” bread which means it’s made with eggs, oil and a bit of sugar. Normally bread is made using yeast and water. An enriched bread means a natural richness and a subtle sweet flavor. Which will compliment French toast ingredients.
  • Crumb: Challah delivers a relatively tight, airy crumb structure that will hold all of that custardy liquid. And prevents it from falling apart when soaked.
  • Thickness: Challah is sold in a whole, braided loaf which allows you to slice the bread thick. Thick slices are key to achieve that bread-pudding like consistency. And that’s why we all love French toast.
  • Best When Stale: Day old or slightly stale challah works very well for French toast, as it’s drier state allows for absorption of custard.
A fork cutting a slice of mango cream cheese stuffed french toast with a side of fresh raspberries

This French toast bake with challah bread includes mangos that have been sauteed in a big dollop of butter and sprinkled with sugar. Challah bread is then sliced and smeared with the cream cheese and mangos, then assembled like a sandwich. The half and half and egg mixture is poured over the top before its overnight soak.

Even though the Mangos were sauteed in butter and sprinkled with sugar, they kept that lovely tangy flavor which was a great compliment to the cream cheese. Which means it wasn’t too sweet making the warm maple syrup a welcome topping.

A slice of mango cream cheese stuffed french toast with a side of fresh raspberries

Tips For Success:

  • It’s important to choose a loaf of bread that’s not been sliced, so you can control the thickness of the slices.
  • Allow Cream Cheese to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften.
  • Mangos can be a pain in the rear to slice. No matter how many times I’ve watched videos, practiced patience, I always end up with mangled fruit. If you use mangos frequently in your kitchen, I highly recommend this OXO mango slicer. Works like a charm.
  • My local Whole Foods carries small chunked and peeled Mango. What a convenience for this recipe.
OXO Tool to slice mangoes for mango cream cheese stuffed french toast

Variations

  • Fruit Filling: There are endless flavor combinations for Baked French Toast With Cream Cheese. Experiment! For the filling, choose fruits that benefit from cooking in butter or baking. Like apples, pears or blueberries are good examples. Save those softer fruits like strawberries and raspberries for a syrup topping or garnish. Jams and jellies are also a good choice, but fruit juices will make the whole dish way too soggy.
  • Cheese: And the choices of cheeses are so appealing. Think outside that box of cream cheese and consider mascarpone, sour cream, or ricotta. And even hard cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gorgonzola will all melt well.
  • Glaze Options: Have some jars of jelly or jams in the refrigerator? Warm them stove top for a warm french toast glaze.

Recipe For Baked French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread

There are plenty of great restaurant options in Denver for celebrating Mother’s Day, however, I can’t think of any better way to indulge than a home cooked event with family and friends. Why not skip the crowded restaurants and enjoy celebrations around the table.

And if you’re looking for more over night breakfast ideas take a look at this Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole . All perfect for feeding a breakfast or brunch crowd. And just for fun, another overnight breakfast recipe I love is this one for Overnight Hatch Chile Breakfast Burritos.

Love French Toast Recipes? Don’t miss this one for Orange French Toast with Grand Marnier Syrup. Just say Yes! 🙂

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

A slice of mango cream cheese stuffed french toast with a side of fresh raspberries
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread, Cream Cheese and Mango

There are many things to love about this Baked French Toast with Cream Cheese. It's make ahead that benefits from an overnight soak in the refrigerator. Pop this mango cream cheese french toast in the oven the next morning and you've got a crowd pleasing breakfast casserole.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast Recipes
Cuisine: French
Servings: 8
Calories: 779kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon softened butter for casserole dish
  • 3 mangoes apx. 2 ⅕ pounds, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 1/ 2 cup sugar divided use
  • 12 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 12 slices egg bread challah sandwich loaf
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups half and half
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Warm maple or agave syrup
  • Powdered Sugar for Dusting

Instructions

  • In a very large (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the mango and saute for approximately 10 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle in a ¼ cup sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
  • In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and the remaining ¼ cup sugar.
  • Butter a 13 x 9 casserole dish with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Divide the cream cheese mixture equally between the slices of bread and spread, covering the entire surface. Place 6 of the slices in the bottom of the prepared dish with the tops of the bread facing out. You may need to squeeze the slices together to make them fit. Spoon the cooled mango slices and their syrup evenly over the bread. Press the remaining slices, cream cheese side down, on top of the mango layer.
  • Whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the top of the stuffed French toast, making sure to cover all the bread with the egg mixture. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
  • In the morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and warmed through. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and serve with warm syrup.

Nutrition

Calories: 779kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 2117IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 3mg

French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread … It’s What’s For Brunch

Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos

By 4 Comments

Give these Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos a try. Looking for an easy chicken taco recipe? One that’s dripping in a luscious tomato based, taco seasoned, chile spiked sauce? This easy recipe for Mexican Chicken Tacos using shredded chicken breasts will shake up your Taco Tuesdays.

Serve this with Gulf Coast Style Baked Rice for a balanced meal.

Chicken tacos on flour tortillas with radishes and avocado.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever met a taco I didn’t like.

And I really couldn’t estimate how long it’s been since we’ve been “taco people.”

I suppose since I was a teenager, and that’s like a hundred years ago. I’d like to be on record that Taco Bell was not the inspiration, but rather it was a mom and pop restaurant in my home town when I was growing up. It introduced tacos and burritos to me long before that big corporate chain.

Rick Bayless threw me over the edge with the introduction of official Mexican Street Tacos, warm soft corn tortillas filled with fresh ingredients far beyond the fried ground beef and chopped onions.

It opened my eyes that a taco shell is a canvas for about any vegetable and protein combination that one can dream up. Take for instance these Swiss Chard Tacos = delicious.

Chicken Soft tacos in a tomato sauce topped with chopped avocado and sliced radish.

We don’t really need another reason to love chicken tacos, unless it’s this saucy chicken taco version, which is a little different than most main stream Mexican tacos recipes. Rather than using a traditional Red Chile Sauce, this sauce starts with a can of tomato sauce.

This sauce, cooked stovetop is extremely easy and the seasoning for the chicken faster than any quick chicken marinade. 

Boneless skinless chicken breasts coated with taco seasoning in a baking dish for Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos.

This recipe starts in the oven, by sprinkling flavorful homemade taco seasoning over boneless skinless chicken breasts and baking for thirty minutes.

While the chicken is baking, the sauce is prepared stovetop and set aside. This easy taco sauce starts with a can of tomato sauce and is seasoned with garlic, onion, cumin and chile powder.

Once the chicken is cooked and cool enough to shred, it’s added to the sauce and simmered for fifteen minutes.

The tacos are built by warming the corn tortillas and filling them with the savory spicy chicken mixture.

I’ve topped them with chopped avocado, sliced radishes, sliced romaine lettuce and grated Monterey Jack Cheese.

We truly loved the crunch of the sliced radishes and creaminess of the avocado with tomato sauced chicken. It all came together for this flavorful and exciting soft taco recipe.

Topping options for chicken soft tacos:

  • Use Muenster cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
  • Replace Monterey Jack Cheese with crumbled Queso Fresco
  • Replace thin sliced Romaine with thin sliced green cabbage.
  • Top tacos with fine diced fresh jalapeno pepper
  • Add very thin sliced rings of red onion, or Homemade Pickled Red Onions.
  • Top with sliced green or ripe olives.
  • Turn these tacos into tostadas. Fry your own or purchase store bought tostada shells.

Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe, Saucy Soft Chicken Tacos

Warm flour tortillas filled with chicken and topped with romaine lettuce, radishes and avocado for chicken soft tacos.

If you’re looking for an easy chicken tacos recipe, these will be perfect for your next taco night.

I hope you give these saucy chicken tacos a try. They may not be as rich and complex as Pulled Pork Tacos (carnitas) or Chorizo Tacos, they don’t have the sweet-savory balance of Tacos al Pastor, but they’ve got one big advantage, they’re really easy to make. And no matter how hard you try, very difficult to mess up.

Love Mexican food as much as we do? Don’t miss my Taco Category. You’ll find lots of inspiration for your next Taco Tuesday. Including one of the most popular Taco recipes on my site for Pork Tenderloin Tacos In Chile Guajillo Sauce.

Warm flour tortillas filled with chicken and topped with romaine lettuce, radishes and avocado for chicken soft tacos.
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5 from 1 vote

Saucy Chicken Tacos

This easy recipe for Mexican Chicken Tacos using shredded chicken breasts will shake up your Taco Tuesdays.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 417kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 3 medium chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 1 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning mix
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup onion diced
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic diced
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon New Mexico Chile Powder
  • 2 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
  • 1 ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 5 radishes sliced
  • 1 Avocado chopped
  • Soft white or yellow corn tortillas

Instructions

  • Coat chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and bake at 350 degreed for 30 minutes, or until done. 
  • When chicken is cool enough, shred chicken with fork. In a sauce pan, cook onions in remaining olive oil until tender. Add chicken and tomato sauce and remaining seasonings and simmer on medium low, covered for 15 minutes. 
  • Warm tortillas. To build tacos, scoop a spoonful of chicken into each tortilla. Add lettuce, cheese, radishes and then avocado.

Notes

Topping options for chicken soft tacos:

  • Use Muenster cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
  • Replace Monterey Jack Cheese with crumbled Queso Fresco
  • Replace thin sliced Romaine with thin sliced green cabbage.
  • Top tacos with fine diced fresh jalapeno pepper
  • Add very thin sliced rings of red onion, or Homemade Pickled Red Onions.
  • Top with sliced green or ripe olives.
  • Turn these tacos into tostadas. Fry your own or purchase store bought tostada shells.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2129IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 2mg

Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos …. They’re What’s for Dinner

Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps with Lime Dressing

By 13 Comments

These Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps are refreshing with Lime Dressing are glorious in flavor. A simple dressing splashed over poached shrimp and crunchy vegetables creates a light meal or a shrimp appetizer that’s so healthy and tasty, you’ll want to make it over and over again. You’ll love this make ahead shrimp recipe for entertaining. And it’s versatile as a shrimp taco or shrimp lettuce wraps.

Shrimp taco lettuce wraps with crunchy vegetables and lime dressing.

Nothing says Summer like seafood and fresh, crispy vegetables.

This recipe utilizes fine diced tomato, radishes, red onion and it wouldn’t be a taco without cilantro and jalapeno.

Just toss the cooked and cooled shrimp together in a bowl and stir them together with the chopped vegetables. Arrange the bright green inner leaves of Romaine lettuce and pile the shrimp and vegetable mixture towards the stem end of the leaves.

Right before serving, drizzle the lime dressing over the shrimp mixture.

You can eat them by rolling up the romaine leaves and making shrimp taco lettuce wraps. I trimmed the tough ends of the romaine leaves to make them easier to roll.

Or you can have warmed white corn tortillas and a big spoon nearby to scoop the mixture to make shrimp tacos.

These healthy shrimp taco lettuce wraps are perfect for a casual fun light dinner or as an appetizer. And what makes this recipe even more appealing is that you can make this ahead of time and serve cold or at room temperature.

Tips On Buying Shrimp

High in protein, low in calories, and sweet with flavor, shrimp becomes an irresistible choice for dinner.

  • Unless you live near the ocean, and can enjoy fresh caught shrimp, as with all of my shrimp recipes, I recommend purchasing it from the freezer section. Labeled “easy peel” means the shell has been split and the shrimp should be deveined.
  • Most shrimp are flash frozen shortly after being caught and then packaged for transport and sale. I feel more comfortable buying frozen than those at the seafood counter since usually they’re just frozen shrimp that have been thawed, just like you will do.
  • When poaching shrimp, I like to cook them with the shell on. I learned in Culinary School that it preserves more flavor and they’re easier to peel after cooked.
  • And as always, look for the label indicating that it’s wild caught American shrimp and not imported farmed. You’ll be amazed that American wild caught shrimp actually tastes like shrimp.

Tips on Cooking Shrimp

  • Cook the Shrimp with shell on for more flavor and an easier peel.
  • Season the water with black peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaves and one juiced lime to flavor the shrimp.
  • Don’t throw that juiced lime in the trash, add it to the poaching water for even more flavor.
  • To know if shrimp are cooked properly: straight shrimp are undercooked, shrimp curled into a “C” are done, shrimp closed in a tight curl are overcooked.
  • After removing shrimp from the cooking liquid, place them  in an ice bath to prevent them from further cooking.
Shrimp tacos with tomatoes, radish, red onion on romaine lettuce with lime dressing

Make Ahead and Versatile

I made this early afternoon last Sunday, refrigerated the shrimp and then brought it to room temperature before serving. I served this as an appetizer for a party of four with warmed tortillas on the side.

Half used the tortillas and half simply rolled them into easy shrimp wraps using the lettuce as the shell.

Shrimp and mixed vegetables served on romaine lettuce leaves.

Recipe for Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps

This recipe was inspired and adapted by Rick Bayless, the king of fresh and authentic Mexican cuisine.

More Light and Healthy Taco Recipes

And if you’re looking for even more taco ideas, don’t miss my category for Taco Recipes. You’ll find lots of fun ideas, including the most popular taco recipe on my site for Easy Dutch Oven Tri-tip Tacos.

Shrimp tacos with tomatoes, radish, red onion on romaine lettuce with lime dressing
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps with Lime Dressing and Crunchy Vegetables

These Shrimp Tacos with Lime Dressing are gloriously refreshing. A simple lime dressing splashed over poached shrimp and crunchy vegetables creates a light meal or a shrimp appetizer that's so healthy, you'll want to make it over and over again. You'll love this make ahead shrimp recipe for entertaining.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Main Course Seafood
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 433kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • SHRIMP
  • 1 lime halved
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns very coarsely ground
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice berries very coarsely ground
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 12 ounces medium shrimp in their shells
  • COMPLETING THE DISH
  • ½ small red onion cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 1 medium-small tomato cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 5 radishes finely diced
  • 1 small jalapeno deveined, seeds removed and fine diced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh cilantro fine chopped
  • 2 ½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil preferably half olive oil and half vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 4 leaves romaine lettuce for garnish
  • sprigs of cilantro for garnish
  • 12 warm corn tortillas for serving

Instructions

  • Squeeze the two lime halves into a medium saucepan, then add the two squeezed rinds, the black pepper, allspice, bay leaves and 1 quart water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp, and let the liquid return just barely to a simmer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and using a colander, drain the shrimp. Return shrimp to hot pan re-cover tightly, set aside for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through, then rinse the shrimp under cold water, or use an ice bath to stop the cooking.
  • Peel the shrimp. If the shrimp need deveined then deveined run a knife down the back to expose the dark intestinal track and scrape it out. If the shrimp are medium or larger, cut them into ½ -inch bits; place in a bowl.
  • Add the red onion, tomato, radish, jalapeno and cilantro to the shrimp.
  • In a small bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the lime juice, oil and salt.
  • Shortly before serving, mix the dressing ingredients thoroughly, then pour over the shrimp mixture. Toss to coat everything well, cover and refrigerate or set aside at room temperature.
  • Line a shallow bowl with the lettuce leaves. Taste the shrimp mixture for salt, scoop it into the prepared bowl and serve, garnished with sprigs of cilantro. Serve with warmed white corn tortillas and a big spoon to make tacos. Guests have a choice of Shrimp Lettuce Wraps or Shrimp Tacos.

Video

Notes

Guests can choose to eat these as lettuce wraps or scooped into warm corn tortillas for a shrimp taco.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 1285mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2733IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 3mg

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps … They’re what’s for dinner.

One Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs in Tomatillo Wine Sauce

By 13 Comments

This chicken in tomatillo sauce was a big hit in our house. Flavorful fork-tender, juicy chicken thighs resting in a tangy Mexican green sauce. A delicious and easy one-pot chicken dinner. Frying chicken thighs nice and crispy and then braising them in a Mexican style gravy makes these Chicken Thighs in Tomatillo Wine Sauce a divine treat. It’s a meal that will remind you of one from your favorite Mexican restaurants.

One pan crispy chicken thighs in tomatillo wine sauce on a white serving platter with an antique silver serving spoon

In my humble opinion, chicken thighs are the best part of the chicken. So much flavor and when cooked correctly a tender and tasty treat. And for our preference, cooking “correctly” simply means a quick fry to brown the skin all over and then braising in a sauce of your choice.

This time the sauce is a green sauce made smoky due to the roasted Hatch Chile and tart and savory with tomatillos, chicken stock and white wine.

Tomatillos are an easy fruit to use in your meal plans. Small, round and green, tomatillos look like unripe tomatoes and are known as tomates verdes in Mexico. Tomatillos have a tart herbal taste and can be used in salsa verde, soups and stews.

To remove the husks, hold the fruit under warm running water, strip off the husks and rinse off the sticky residue from the skins.

Crispy fried chicken thighs on a bed of tomatillo and hatch chile green sauce on a white serving platter.

Mise en Place:

Means, everything in it’s place. This one pan dinner comes together easily if you practice due diligence in chopping and dicing before beginning. The french term Mice en Place was pounded into our heads daily when I attended Culinary School. And it’s a habit that’s well worth the time to master.

This recipe calls for roasted Hatch chile. I have a stash of roasted chiles in my freezer, so this is an easy task for me. Roasting chiles are easy if you have a gas range.

No Hatch available? Just place fresh Anaheim, poblanos or Hatch directly over the flame of your gas stove, resting them on your stovetop grates. Turn them frequently until they’re blackened on all sides. When done, place the chile in a plastic zip lock bag and let them steam for about ten minutes. Then the skins will slide off easily. No need to remove each and every inch of the blackened skin, leaving a trace here and there will increase the smoky flavor. Never run the peppers under water to remove skins. You’re washing away valuable flavor.

Chop the onion and tomatillo and mince that garlic. Chop the cilantro and measure the cumin. Gather your bottle of white wine and your carton of chicken stock. You’re ready to get to work.

Which White Wine Should I Use for Cooking?

And speaking of cooking with wine. Always cook with a wine that you’d drink. I like inexpensive chardonnay or more frequently I buy Catalunya White Wine (Spain). Rene Barbier Mediterranean White. It’s under $10 and is crisp, fresh and floral with a hint of citrus it seems to be perfect for the kitchen. And it’s what we used daily at Cooking School. Please don’t use cooking wine from the grocery store.

Riffs on This Recipe

  • Don’t want to use white wine? Just omit and increase the chicken stock to two cups.
  • Not a thigh person? Of course you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Boneless skinless will work also, but will be a bit drier. Also, boneless skinless thighs can be substituted in this recipe.
  • Instead of serving the chicken whole, shred the meat and gently mix into the sauce. Eating a chicken thigh that’s been slathered in sauce can be a bit messy. So if you’d like an easier dining experience. Shred the meat.
  • Garnish with Sour Cream.
  • Before serving the sauce, use an immersion blender for a smoother texture and appearance.
  • Want to go vegetarian? Omit chicken and add some potatoes for a stew-type experience.
  • Really want to kick up the flavor? Use roasted jalapenos. Your choice to remove seeds and veins. If you leave them you’ll get more heat from the pepper.
  • Serve this over rice or even mashed potatoes. If you’re shredding the meat you can serve with a warm tortilla.

This recipe was inspired and adapted from the cookbook One Pot Of The Day.

Recipe for One Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs in Tomatillo Wine Sauce

More Recipes Using Tomatillos

And don’t miss my category for Chicken Recipes. You’ll find lots of options, including the most popular on my site for Chicken Fajita Pasta. A hearty comfort food recipe that the whole family will love.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

One pan crispy chicken thighs with tomatillo wine sauce on a white serving platter with an antique serving spoon
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

One Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs in Tomatillo Wine Sauce

A delicious and easy one-pot chicken dinner. Frying chicken thighs nice and crispy and then braising them in a Mexican style gravy makes these Chicken Thighs in Tomatillo Wine Sauce a divine treat. It's a meal that will remind you of one from your favorite Mexican restaurants.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8
Calories: 479kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 pounds Chicken thighs skin-on and bone-in
  • 1 large sweet onion fine chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup Dry White Wine
  • 3 Hatch Chile Peppers roasted, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ pounds tomatillos husked, rinsed, and quartered
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro plus whole leaves for garnish
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs on all sides. Working in batches, sear the chicken until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the pan, and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The add the chicken stock. Add the roasted chiles, garlic, tomatillos, chopped cilantro, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken and any juices that've collected on the plate to the pan, cover, and simmer, turning once, until the chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
  • Add the lime juice to the sauce remaining in the pan and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If a smoother sauce is desired, pulse all or half the sauce in a food processor or blender until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Pour the sauce onto a serving platter and using tongs place chicken pieces on the sauce. If you’d like spoon a little of the sauce over the chicken. over the chicken Garnish with the whole cilantro leaves. Serve with rice or tortillas on the side.

Notes

If you don’t have a stash of frozen roasted Hatch Chile peppers, you can substitute a small can of chopped Hatch chile. Or roast Anaheims or Poblanos for a substitute.

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg

Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce … It’s What’s For Dinner

Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Risotto

By 7 Comments

Bacon and Mushroom Risotto is a super easy side dish using your Instant Pot. Adding a bit of a Southwestern kick with New Mexico Chile Powder compliments the nutty flavor of the Arborio Rice and the earthy flavor of Mushrooms. A meal in itself, or a side dish for your favorite entree.

We like to serve this with Coriander Crusted Pork Tenderloin. The rich flavor of the risotto seems a perfect partner for tender pork.

Bacon Mushroom Risotto in a bowl.

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

Mushrooms are a tailor-made addition to creamy risotto. And adding bacon takes this risotto recipe to the next level. This traditional Italian dish gets a dose of fusion with Southwestern love by adding a bit of New Mexico Chile powder for a little heat.

Why Make Risotto In The Instant Pot?

  • It’s Fast and Easy: Let your pressure cooker do the heavy lifting for a hands-off risotto experience.
  • Ready in about 30-minutes. Cooking risotto in the Instant Pot takes the guess work, fear and doubt for this notoriously finicky dish.
  • Using a pressure cooker eliminates the traditional custom of standing over the pot and stirring, stirring …and stirring.
  • Risotto’s reputable creamy luxurious texture is not compromised.
  • It simply makes risotto a more accessible side dish. You’ll simply want to make it more often.
  • Scientifically there’s something about a pressure cooker and its results on any starchy food that seems to make it softer, stickier and the flavor seems better. The Instant Pot website says that “cooking under pressure or at higher temperature starch in rice gelatinizes to the maximum degree. This is why pressure cooked rice has a softer and stickier grain texture in comparison to boiled and steamed rice at normal pressure”.

I also noticed a more desirable texture when I cooked pasta in the Instant Pot. My Chicken Chipotle Mac and Cheese seemed to simply melt in my mouth, in a very favorable and flavor-able way.

Once the ingredients are gathered and the small amount of chopping required, all that’s left is a 6-minute pressure cook and it’s read to eat.

The Flavor Profile: The woodsy flavor of shiitake mushrooms are a great partner for the earthy rich flavor of the chile powder. Smoky bacon adds a layer of unforgettable flavor.

Let’s take a look at how to make Bacon Mushroom Risotto:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make bacon mushroom risotto.
  • Mushrooms: I like to use shiitake mushrooms for this recipe, but experiment with different varieties or even a mix of mushrooms. Oyster, Trumpet, Chanterelle or easy to find button or baby bella mushrooms.
  • Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is a short grain rice that is traditionally used to make Italian Risotto. It has a high starch content which gives it it’s creamy texture. No substitutions here please.
  • Parmesan Cheese: A hard Italian cheese with a nutty fruity flavor. Again traditional for risotto, no substitutions please.
  • Chile Powder: I prefer and always have a good supply of New Mexico Red Chile Powder. You can substitute Ancho Chile Powder.

Pro Tip: Purchase good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese in bags includes additives to keep it from clumping, which will also compromise the melting factor. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will result in a creamier and more consistent melting experience. Plus, it’s less expensive.

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

Cooking mushrooms and onions in Instantpot to make bacon mushroom risotto.
Adding aborio rice to instant pot to make bacon and mushroom risotto.
  1. Step 1: Cook bacon until crispy stovetop. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Set the Instant Pot to Sautee. When hot, add oil and butter. Once butter is melted, add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Warm the chicken stock in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes. I like to use my 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. During the time the stock is heating, add the onions and cook, stirring regularly for 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Step 2: Add the rice and chile powder and stir until rice is nicely coated., stirring for 1 minute.
Step three to make Bacon Mushroom Risotto.
Bacon and Mushroom risotto step 4.
  1. Step 3: Add the chicken broth and stir. Press the cancel button. Put the lid on, lock, and set Press ‘pressure cook on high, and set the timer for 6 minutes.
  2. Step 4: Once pressure is released and you can remove the lid, add in the grated Parmesan cheese, cream, cooked bacon pieces and a little more butter if you’d like.
How to make bacon mushroom risotto step 5.
Bacon Mushroom Risotto served in a bowl.
  1. Step 5: Stir all ingredients until well combined.
  2. Step 6: Grab your favorite serving bowls and serve this risotto with bacon and mushrooms immediately.
Bacon and Mushroom Risitto in a bowl.

Tips For Success

  • The rice itself is important. A high starch content rice is the key to the creamy texture of risotto. Arborio rice is readily available on grocery shelves. You can also Seek out Carnaroli rice, considered to be the king of rices when it comes to making risotto, and will give you that restaurant quality experience. You can find it at your favorite Italian Specialty Market. Avoid long-grain rices like Jasmine or Basmati, which are lower in starch.
  • No Need To Rinse The Rice: You need that starch residue that lives on the surface of the rice to achieve that creamy texture.
  • Use a Microplane Zester or a Box Grater to finely grate the Parmesan Cheese. Thicker chunks of cheese will not properly melt.
  • If the risotto is a bit too wet after the final stir after cooking, turn on the sautee function and drizzle in a little more milk.
  • Purchase regular thick cut bacon. Some of the fancier flavored smoked additives will over-power the delicate flavor of this risotto recipe. You want a balanced flavor.
  • Kitchen shears make easy work to cut the bacon into small pieces before frying.

Questions You May Have

Is Bacon Mushroom Risotto Gluten Free?

Yes, rice is a gluten free product and the ingredients are gluten free.

How To Serve It

Bacon Mushroom Risotto can be served as a main course. Or serve it with your favorite main course. May I suggest Italian Beef Tagliata, or these Lamb Skewers with Lemon Vinaigrette.

Leftovers and Storage

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat, take advantage of your microwave’s 50% power function. Reheat individual servings in 15-second increments. Add a little milk before reheating if the left-over risotto seems a little dry

Recipe For Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

And check out my category for Side Dish Recipes, you’ll find lots of great recipes including one of the most popular for Green Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Bacon Mushroom Risotto in a bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Risotto

Making Risotto in an Instant Pot is a breeze. The texture and creaminess is not at all sacrificed with the quick cook. Shiitake Bacon and Mushroom Risotto is a very special blend of Southwestern flavors. A beautiful compliment the nutty flavor of the Arborio Rice.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southwestern Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 303kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Bacon chopped and cooked to crispy stage
  • 1 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup sweet onion diced
  • 5 ounce Package Mushrooms sliced. Shiitake, button or baby bella work well here.
  • ¾ cup arborio rice
  • 1 teaspoon pure chile powder such as Chimayó or ancho
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock placed in a Pyrex measuring cup and heated in microwave
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • In a fry pan stovetop, cook the chopped bacon until crispy stage. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
  • Set the Instant Pot to Sautee. When hot, add oil and butter. Once butter is melted, add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Warm the chicken stock in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes. I like to use my 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. During the time the stock is heating, add the onions to the Instant Pot and cook, stirring regularly for 1 to 2 minutes
  • Add the rice and chile powder and stir until rice is nicely coated, for 1 minute. Add the warmed chicken stock. 
  • Press the cancel button. Put the lid on the Instant Pot making sure it's in the locked position and pressure valve is down. Press 'pressure cook on high, and set the timer for 6 minutes.
    When the timer beeps, release the pressure.
  • Once the pressure is released and you're able to open the lid, stir in the cheese, cream, cooked bacon pieces and a little more butter if you'd like.

Notes

Tips For Success
  • The rice itself is important. A high starch content rice is the key to the creamy texture of risotto. Arborio rice is readily available on grocery shelves. You can also Seek out Carnaroli rice, considered to be the king of rices when it comes to making risotto, and will give you that restaurant quality experience. You can find it at your favorite Italian Specialty Market. Avoid long-grain rices like Jasmine or Basmati, which are lower in starch.
  • No Need To Rinse The Rice: You need that starch residue that lives on the surface of the rice to achieve that creamy texture.
  • Use a Microplane Zester or a Box Grater to finely grate the Parmesan Cheese. Thicker chunks of cheese will not properly melt.
  • If the risotto is a bit too wet after the final stir after cooking, turn on the sautee function and drizzle in a little more milk.
  • Purchase regular thick cut bacon. Some of the fancier flavor smoked additives will over-power the delicate flavor of this risotto recipe.
  • Kitchen shears make easy work to cut the bacon into small pieces before frying.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

Bacon Mushroom Risotto … It’s What’s For Dinner