Family Friendly Food: Baked Risotto

I’ve been making this risotto for as long as I can remember. It’s the easiest dish in the world to make and absolutely delicious, but the best thing about it - it can be easily adapted to different tastes right at the end. So it’s particularly good for any picky eaters in the family!

Here is the recipe which will make enough for 4 big portions, and the result is perfect risotto every time.

Ingredients

275g Arborio rice

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 litre chicken stock

125ml white wine or cooking Marsala (de-alcoholised wine)

Another 250ml of chicken stock, stirred in right at the end

40g butter

100g grated parmesan

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

To start put your rice and chopped onion in a dutch oven/le creuset casserole pot.

Add the hot stock and wine to the pot and stir well (I substitute cooking Marsala which is de-alcholised when I’m cooking this for the family).

Pop in the oven with the lid on for 35 minutes.

When you take it out and lift off the lid it should look like this…

…taste a little bit, the rice should be cooked through and still look like individual grains not mushy like porridge. If the rice isn’t fully cooked pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Now add the Parmesan and butter. Parmesan happens to be packed with protein (great for growing little ones), calcium, and also a very good source of vitamin A (good for vision, healthy skin and teeth). 

Then pour in the final cup of hot stock.

The next bit is really important! You need to stir really quickly for at least one full minute! This will break up all the starch and give the risotto the same creamy unctuous consistency as one that has been carefully tended to with constant stirring at the hob after adding ladle after ladle of hot stock.

Spoon into individual bowls, eat the risotto just like this or add anything you like, this dish is also good for using up any leftovers.    

We like:

Bacon pieces and petit pois

Chorizo and prawns 

Pesto

Roasted vegetables

It’s also very toddler friendly as the starchy rice sticks really well to the spoon!

Et voila, the meal that I’ve possibly made the most for my family over the years and they all still love it! 

Jennifer is a full time Mum (and blogger) living with her husband and three boys in Dublin.

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