Guarantee you didn't feel the need to retaliate to your parents in the same need as I did.
Growing up, when I was in trouble or just generally upset, I felt the need to hard core guilt my parents. I had very very strange tendencies. My grandmother would give each grandchild money every Christmas and again for our birthdays. As a weird child, I would hoard this money, in my wallet, that sat in my desk. My other grandparents would also give us money, which my parents put into a bank account. My paternal grandmother's money was always our spending money. For me, it was my hoarding money. Never to be spent. Always to be used to demonstrate your wealth to others. With two hundred dollars in my pocket each year, I was a very rich child at age ten, so to speak. I have memories of showing my friends my hoarded money when they came over and I can only imagine what these kids came home telling their parents. My money served one major purpose. Spite. For some reason, whenever I did something gravely wrong, I would insist of gifting all of my money to my parents. One day, I cartwheeled into my father and he knocked his coffee into the new carpet. I still cite this day as one of the worst days in my life. The only logical way to make it up to my parents was to gift them my money. I threw all of my dollar bills down the stairs in attempts to rectify the issue. When my mom would send me to my room, I would first, press my head against my wall, to hear what they would say about me in the kitchen and then, once again, throw my money down the stairs. I feel like I still instinctually have this issue. My mom just set up her Venmo account, so this may have irreversible damages.
Every time I think of French Onion Soup, I think of the time I was so upset with my parents, for who knows what, while we went out to dinner. I decided to order just the $4 cup of soup, instead of a meal. Having zero clue what French Onion Soup even meant. Again, utilizing money as some weird negotiator that was all in my head. I guess I was on some sort of hunger strike, but I was starving when that cup of delicious soup, topped with a cheesy bread arrived at my table. For once, God was rewarding my inappropriate actions with a delicious meal. Despite the fact that we were at your ordinary chain, and that I was starving on the car ride home, I always remembered that French Onion Soup. I can remember which side of the booth I sat in, while I savored the flavor. Modern day chefs talk about Umami all the time, which legit translated to "savory pleasant taste." To me, french onion soup has umami. The simple ingredients in the broth makes my palate rejoice.
I wanted to encapsulate that umami flavor of the french onion soup but morph it into a weeknight dinner. Because what home chef, cooking after a ten hour work day, isn't looking for umami? Well you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this dish requires just one pot and comes together in no time. If you have dried thyme in your cupboard, you can make this dish with pantry staples.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 14oz can beef broth
2 white onions thinly sliced (slice them to make rings)
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
4 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large oven-safe skillet melt 3 tbs butter. Add in sliced onions and toss to coat with the butter. Cook onions on low until caramelized, roughly 15 - 20 minutes. Cook until onions are completely translucent and lightly browned. Remove onions from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp thyme. Add olive oil to the pan and brown chicken for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add onions back into the pan and pour in the beef broth and remaining thyme. Add in corn-starch and whisk continuously, breaking up all the chunks. Keep whisking until you have a smooth broth. Add chicken to the pan and top the breasts with the sliced cheese. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the entire skillet. It adds great flavor to the broth as well. Bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 14oz can beef broth
2 white onions thinly sliced (slice them to make rings)
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
4 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large oven-safe skillet melt 3 tbs butter. Add in sliced onions and toss to coat with the butter. Cook onions on low until caramelized, roughly 15 - 20 minutes. Cook until onions are completely translucent and lightly browned. Remove onions from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp thyme. Add olive oil to the pan and brown chicken for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add onions back into the pan and pour in the beef broth and remaining thyme. Add in corn-starch and whisk continuously, breaking up all the chunks. Keep whisking until you have a smooth broth. Add chicken to the pan and top the breasts with the sliced cheese. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the entire skillet. It adds great flavor to the broth as well. Bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
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