Chicken and Carmelized Onion Risotto

Dearest Risotto,

 Sigh. I love you risotto. I really, really do. You are a combination of my favorite ingredients, namely cheese and rice, and I just love you. Please love me too.

Forever yours,

Stephanie

Now that we got that insanity out of the way, let me just tell you how amazing this dinner was. My friend Danielle at work was making an amazing dinner one night and she was talking about it at work. Her meal sounded so good, short ribs and mushroom risotto, that I had to make something special that night so I didn't go crash her dinner plans. I thought that might be crossing the line... no?

This dinner was really special. The flavors were fabulous and really complimented one another. I have become a big fan of carmelized onions so this meal was right up my alley. Truly this was one of those rare dishes where the leftovers taste just as good the next day. I could make this meal weekly and never get sick of it. Seriously. Just try it- you'll be glad you did. But also be aware that this is time consuming- the onions take about an hour to carmelize. So if you are making this in a weeknight make them the day before or leave yourself time. Believe me, it's worth the effort.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, inspired by Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1 large spanish onion
1 tsp. olive oil
4 ounces chicken breast, diced small
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup pecorino romano cheese, shredded
Salt
2 scallions, finely diced

Directions:
1- Slice the ends off the onion, peel, cut it in half, and slice into even thin slices.
2- Heat a large nonstick skillet with the oil. Add the onions. To carmelize the onions leave the heat on medium-low and stir frequently. They will reduce down  and brown over time, in about an hour. Stir frequently to prevent burning. (You can add a tsp. of sugar to aide the carmelizing, I didn't and it was perfect.)
3- When the onions are carmelized add the chicken and raise the heat. Stir frequently until cooked through.
4- Remove the onion/chicken mixture from the pan and set aside in a covered bowl.
5- Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and keep it simmering over a low heat.
6- Add the arborio rice to the skillet and raise the heat to medium. Stir frequently until the rice begins to turn lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the Italian seasonings and garlic powder.
7- Add the broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing it to completely absorb before adding another cup. Stir frequently while it absorbs. Prior to adding the last cup of broth return the chicken and onions to the pan.
8- Once the mixture is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed add the cheese and stir well. Season with salt to taste.
9- Serve hot- top with some of the chopped scallions.