Dinner hack: Oven baked risotto

Hot, wet rice, as risotto is known at our house is not hugely popular. I ADORE chicken and mushroom with lots of parmesan but if I made it and served it up to the family there would be 4 noses turning their noses up at it. As a consequence, risotto very rarely gets a run in our house.

But sometimes, there is an itch that just NEEDS to be scratched if you know what I mean. And as the weather starts to get a little cooler, there’s nothing like the comfort of a steaming bowl of risotto piled high with a snowdrift of parmesan cheese.

Last week I decided that I would make a batch for the family (tomato & chorizo) using this recipe which will be eaten by all (except Maggie) and used my cheat oven baked risotto method which I wanted to show you guys again. Mostly because it’s too easy which is needed especially at night when preparing dinner means keeping an overtired toddler awake, helping with mathletics home work and dealing with an angsty tween on her phone, so I definitely don’t have time to stand and stir. And also because it’s so versatile. With this base you can add in whatever you like: just have the other fillings ready on the side: mushroom, pumpkin, chicken and leek, seafood…whatever you like!

Here’s what you’ll need for the basic oven baked risotto:

Oven Baked risotto base (feeds 5-6 people)

2 cups arborio rice
4 cups stock (chicken or vegetarian)
1 brown onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
Salt & pepper

1. Finely dice the brown onion, mince or grate the garlic and fry off in some olive oil in a oven proof heavy based pan that you can add a lid to later. Fry until soft and season with a little salt & pepper

2. Add in the two cups or arborio rice and mix through the softened onions, being sure to coat the rice in the oil

3. Add in the stock and give a quick stir. The beauty of this recipe is that you can scale it up or down depending on how many people you have to cook for. If it’s just 2 then just do one cup of rice, if it’s more like 8-10 maybe do 3 cups and then just double the amount of stock that you add in so for 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of stock, 2 cups of rice, 4 of stock so on…

4. Add the lid to the pot and place into a 180 degree (fan forced) pre-heated oven. Don’t open, or mix, stir or so anything for 30-35 mins

5. After 30-35 mins take it out and check how the liquid is. It should still have a little bit in there that you can see (and not totally absorbed) as you want to give it a bit of a stir and allow that starch to come out and make the risotto creamy). There was still a bit of liquid at the bottom of this once I put a wooden spoon in and gave it a stir

6. This is when I took out Maggie’s as she wanted it plain

7. You can then use this base to add in whatever you like! If you had some roasted pumpkin or some cooked chicken, leeks and pancetta on a pan stir it though. For us, I had some crispy chorizo that had been cooked out of their skin and then simmered in some tins of tomato. Whatever you like, stir it though at this stage and if needed pop it over the heat to absorb any extra liquid. But I think you will be fine to just do it on the bench and the residual heat will cook and combine it into a delicious creamy risotto.

And don’t forget those lashings of parmesan (or chilli) on top. Serve with a glass of wine and it’s absolute heaven. And easy too right?!

Oven Baked Risotto

This is a greta hack for cooking risotto that requires no stirring (well not much) and for a busy Mum that’s what I want.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups arborio rice
  • 4 cups stock chicken or vegetable
  • 1 med brown onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • salt & pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Finely dice the brown onion, mince or grate the garlic and fry off in some olive oil in a oven proof heavy based pan that you can add a lid to later. Fry until soft and season with a little salt & pepper 
  • Add in the two cups or arborio rice and mix through the softened onions, being sure to coat the rice in the oil
  • Add in the stock and give a quick stir. The beauty of this recipe is that you can scale it up or down depending on how many people you have to cook for. If it’s just 2 then just do one cup of rice, if it’s more like 8-10 maybe do 3 cups and then just double the amount of stock that you add in so for 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of stock, 2 cups of rice, 4 of stock so on…
  • Add the lid to the pot and place into a 180 degree (fan forced) pre-heated oven. Don’t open, or mix, stir or so anything for 30-35 mins
  • After 30-35 mins take it out and check how the liquid is. It should still have a little bit in there that you can see (and not totally absorbed) as you want to give it a bit of a stir and allow that starch to come out and make the risotto creamy). There was still a bit of liquid at the bottom of this once I put a wooden spoon in and gave it a stir
  • You can then use this base to add in whatever you like! If you had some roasted pumpkin or some cooked chicken, leeks and pancetta on a pan stir it though. For us, I had some crispy chorizo that had been cooked out of their skin and then simmered in some tins of tomato. Whatever you like, stir it though at this stage and if needed pop it over the heat to absorb any extra liquid. But I think you will be fine to just do it on the bench and the residual heat will cook and combine it into a delicious creamy risotto

Do your family hate hot wet rice too?
What’s your favourite kind of risotto?
Hope you can have a try this way!

Comments

  1. right that’s dinner sorted.
    Thank you Beth.
    cheers kate

  2. I have a wonderful recipe for Microwave Risotto that i use all the time – I add different things – chopped asparagus – pea and mint or sometimes just mushrooms. Its one of my kids favourite recipes and so easy to do.

  3. Bonza. I’m on it !!!

  4. Great recipe. Currently shovelling this down with a little bacon, leek and blistered cherry tomatoes. Kids love it!

  5. Hi Beth

    I now cook risotto in the electric pressure cooker. 7 minutes!

  6. Fantastic – love it! and the ability to customise the flavour for the family.

    Thanks also for the reminder re chili – what a great idea 🙂

  7. Lemon chicken risotto is my fave. I might try it your way and add some chopped cooked chicken and the grated rind and juice of two lemons, and a few peas at the end of cooking so you get your greens in. Cheesy and creamy – it is delicious.

  8. Do you wash the Arborio Rive beforehand, Beth? Thank you – this looks delicious! 😍

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