Easy Mushroom Risotto

An oh so creamy, cheesy, super easy, and wonderfully comforting mushroom risotto recipe. The mushrooms add a rich, earthy flavor that really goes with all of that fresh parmesan you'll be piling on top.

I love serving this mushroom risotto recipe with a Pan-Seared New York Strip Steak, some Honey Chipotle Salmon, or with slices of Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

Before culinary school, I thought risotto was this incredibly fancy, hard to make, Michelin-starred dish that nobody could do right on Hell's Kitchen so Gordon Ramsay would call them a donkey and tell them to flip off while telling them all that they can't make a risotto.

So when I learned it's "add broth, stir, add broth, stir, add broth, stir" until you have some creamy risotto on your hands, I felt bamboozled.

Really, that's it. How you have fooled me, FOX entertainment and Gordon Ramsay.

Mushroom risotto is actually a date night love for us, it goes great with a pan seared steak, a fresh strawberry salad, and this rich and creamy ricotta cheesecake. When I tell you the best way to someone's heart is through their stomach, I'm not lying! And risotto is a labor of love worth the calories.

What's in Mushroom Risotto?

• Arborio rice. It's high in starch, which is what gives that really creamy texture to your risotto and soaks up all that good chicken broth like a sponge. If you can't find it in your grocery store, try a specialty store or order it from Amazon.
• Good Chicken Broth or Stock. Low sodium from the store is fine, but homemade chicken stock is preferred. You don't want super salty risotto but you also don't want super salty and flavorless broth/stock ruining all your hard work. You can also use Vegetable Stock if you are vegetarian or vegan.
• Baby Bella or Button Mushrooms. Either works fine and they're easy to find at your local grocery store.
• Unsalted Butter. Olive oil is a good substitute if you are vegetarian
• A shallot or a small yellow onion.
• White wine, which is optional. Remember to use a wine that you would drink!
• Fresh Garlic.
• Parmesan Cheese. I mean the fresh stuff. Don't you dare get that dust in the green container! Get a small wedge of parmesan cheese from any local ALDI, Walmart, or Target and shred it with a cheese grater or microplane. You will thank yourself when you see the difference. Pssst, there's also vegetarian parmesan cheese, made with plant-based rennet at Whole Foods...so no excuse for not making some bomb mushroom risotto!

How to make mushroom risotto

First thing's first, saute those mushrooms and garlic in some of the buttah, honey. Saute them in the pan you plan on making the risotto in for easier cleanup. Remove the garlic butter mushrooms onto a plate or into a bowl and save them for later.

Melt the rest of the butter in that pan, saute the shallot, then add in the arborio rice. Stir it around with a wooden spatula so it absorbs all that flavored butter. You could also add a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme to the butter while it melts, it adds more depth of flavor that's so delicious.

Keep the stock in a separate pot from your risotto pan and let it stay at a low simmer while you pour ladlefuls of it into the rice. Don't forget that good splash of wine, if you're using it. If not, just add more chicken stock.

And that's what you'll be doing for the next twenty minutes or so. Put on a good YouTube channel or start an episode of the Real Housewives and stir. And pour. And stir. And pour. And stir. You're looking for the rice to absorb almost all of the stock in the pan before adding more. 

By the time you're out of stock, your risotto rice will be creamy and cooked through. Make sure to taste the risotto now to ensure the rice grains are cooked through. They should not have an opaque middle and should be slightly colored from the chicken stock.

Add in the parmesan cheese, the sliced garlic butter mushrooms, and taste for seasoning. 

Try not to eat the whole pan right then, okay? 

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📖 Recipe

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

An oh so creamy, cheesy, and wonderfully comforting mushroom risotto recipe. The mushrooms add a rich, earthy flavor that really go with the big pile of fresh parmesan you'll be piling on top.

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Ingredients

• 4-5 cups (960 mL-1 L) low-sodium chicken broth
• 6 tablespoon (90 g) unsalted butter, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium shallot or small yellow onion, finely minced
• 2 cups (380 g) uncooked arborio rice
• ¼ cup (60 mL) white wine
• ½ cup (45 g) parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer. Then keep the hot stock over low heat until you're ready to use it.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoon butter and add in mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes, until they begin to gain color. Add in the minced garlic, stirring occasionally to ensure the garlic doesn't burn, for about 2 minutes. Place the garlic mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.
3. In the large skillet, melt the 4 remaining tablespoons of butter. Add in shallots and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the rice, stirring to coat each grain with the butter. Add the quarter cup of white wine, if using, or replace with a quarter cup of chicken stock. 
4. For the next twenty minutes or so, pour half a cup of the hot chicken stock at a time into the rice and stir it in. Let the rice soak up the stock, stirring in more chicken broth just before the rice dries out.
5. When the rice is cooked through and creamy, add in the garlic mushrooms to warm them back up, and mix in the parmesan cheese. Add more than ½ cup of cheese if desired. 
6. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the mushroom risotto hot and garnish with more parmesan cheese, if desired.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 605Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 682mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 87g

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Eden Westbrook

Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.

www.sweetteaandthyme.com