What do you do when you make way too much vodka sauce for your son’s football spaghetti feed? Even with giving 8 cups away to your Aunt as a thank you to her for letting you borrow her big pots and warmers….you get creative with left overs! I can’t ever bring myself to throw this sauce away. Even though technically you can freeze vodka sauce, it never tastes the same as fresh made. So, instead, I used it in several different low carb dinners through the week. I made 4 1/2 pounds of an “un-breaded” version of chicken parmesan that lasted two nights. And then I made a “hearty” seafood vegetable bisque with it another evening, that also lasted two nights.
Vodka Sauce
Servings: 8
Calories: 255kcal
Ingredients
- 2 TBS butter
- ¼ small sweet onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes *optional
- ¼ cup vodka
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups of red sauce from meatball recipe or additional canned crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat butter, add diced onion and garlic, sauté for 4-6 minutes. Add vodka, simmer to reduce, about 4-6 minutes. Add heavy whipping cream, bring to a simmer and turn heat down to low. Be sure not to overcook the cream sauce. Add crushed tomatoes and red sauce. Stir in fresh basil. Cook on low for 20 minutes so all the flavors come together.
Notes
This recipe makes 8-1 cup servings. Calories per serving: 255; Fat per serving: 20g; Carbs per serving: 16g; Protein per serving: 4g
Low Carb “Un-breaded” Chicken Parmesan
Servings: 16 4 oz servings
Calories: 258kcal
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- 9X13 Baking Pan
- 9×9 Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 4 lbs raw chicken breast sliced thin like a cutlet and tenderized
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 2 TBS butter
- 4 garlic cloves
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups homemade vodka sauce See recipe above
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Tenderizing Chicken
- Thinly slice chicken breast like a cutlet, tenderize, salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Prepping Cast Iron Skillet
- Place olive oil, butter, and garlic in large cast iron skillet. Heat on medium heat to bubbling.
Frying Chicken
- Place as much chicken as you can fit in the hot skillet. Brown on both sides.
- When finished browning on both sides, place on a paper towel lined plate to rest. Place the additional prepped chicken in the skillet repeating steps until all the chicken is cooked.
Preparing for Baking
- Place 3/4 cup of premade vodka sauce (recipe to follow) in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish (I had to also use an additional 9×9 baking dish). Place chicken on vodka sauce in a single layer. Cover chicken with 3/4 cup vodka sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 min. I also broiled the top for about 2 min because I like my cheese crispy. Let rest for 5 min. Heat any additional left over vodka sauce to add additional to chicken when serving. Serve along spaghetti squash or zoodles. Or with your favorite side veggie or salad.
Notes
This recipe makes about 16- 4 oz servings. Calories per serving: 258; Fat per serving: 15g; Carbs per serving: 5g; Protein per serving: 28g
