3-Cheese Risotto

Friends, I'm currently in a "creation" frenzy. I've been churning out the recipes here at home, night after night. Which has been unusual as of late. The hubby returned home from work the other night and exclaimed, "You made dinner again? Wow!". Ha ha. And the next thing he said? "You must be running out of back-up posts on the blog." 

He hit the nail on the head. Sometimes I go through weeks-long phases where all I want to do is write. Sometimes the phase is creating the recipe and taking pictures, and that's where I am currently. Taking lots and lots of pictures, and wracking my brain for any ol' little thing to write. In truth, I'm trying to create a big backlog because my parents are coming to visit next month! It's going to be a longer visit and I know I won't be doing any work while they are here. 

So, that's where my head is at. Must. Take. More. Pictures!!

Of things, like risotto. I don't make risotto often. As far as rice dishes go, risotto's are time-consuming and very hands-on. I mean, you are basically stirring for 30 minutes to get that creamy texture. Oh, but it's worth it! You'll be convinced after one taste of the creamy, cheesy deliciousness.

So, how do you make risotto? Here's how:

You are going to need a special rice. I typically stick to Arborio rice when I make risotto. Arborio is a highly-starchy rice, able to absorb the liquid needed without becoming mushy. It's a little more spendy than normal rice, but hey, I haven't made a risotto in almost 2 years. I'll take that luxury every once in awhile. As for the Arborio rice, you need a rice that's going to absorb a lot of liquid. Like, a lot, a lot, a lot. 6 cups of liquid to be exact! Risotto is made by constantly stirring the rice as it absorbs all this liquid and eventually becomes tender and creamy. Other types of rice you can use for risotto include Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. Neither of which I've seen in the US. So most likely, you'll want to use Arborio. 

The cheese! I used a combination of parmesan, romano, and asiago. I grated about 1/3 cup of each, so I had about a cup of cheese. My cup of cheese was heaping, and the risotto was very cheesy. Perfection!

I topped the finished recipe with garden-fresh chives. 

So cheesy :-)

That's it for me today! It's supposed to be especially nice here, almost 90º and sunny. I've got a little bit of work to do in the garden, a little bit of reading to do in the house, and a little bit of picture-taking to do of tonight's meal. I'm also thinking about making some cookies... we'll see about that one. I'm wishing cookies were at the top of my priority list! :-)

Have a great weekend friends!

Recipe adapted from: Food Network

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

6 cups Chicken Broth (sub store bought)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb Arborio rice

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 cup Asiago cheese, grated

1/3 cup Romano cheese, grated

2 tbsp chives, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

toppings:grated parmesan cheese, chopped chives (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm.

2. In a large, wide-sided pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until onions soften. Add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds. Add rice. Stir to coat rice in olive oil mixture. 

3. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the pan, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until all the broth has been absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup chicken broth to the pan, repeat. Repeat until all the chicken broth has been absorbed and the rice is tender. This will take anywhere from 30-45 minutes.

4. Add the butter, cream, cheese, and chives. Stir until the butter, cream, and cheese are incorporated, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat. Divide risotto among plates and top with more cheese and chives, if using. Serve immediately. 

Printable Recipe

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