A few months after Ray and I got married I tried to impress him with my (non)domestic skills by making a fancy dinner. The menu – Baked lemon salmon, asparagus, and classic risotto. Now let’s be real, I know that’s not exactly fancy BUT we were poor and I was banking on Ray’s expectations being low. Also, I had never made risotto before. It’s possible that was the first time Ray had ever consumed it. Despite those factors, I labored over that sweltering pot of risotto for what felt like hours, and in the end it was totally worth it!
A few weeks ago I decided to make broccoli cheddar risotto. I’m not sure if I wasn’t feeling good, or was just in the mood for comfort food, but I was craving both broccoli cheddar soup AND risotto. So, I compromised.
I feel like making risotto is more about a method rather than a recipe. And honestly, I think my method is a little different than most. Generally, people add 1/4 cup of dry white wine to the risotto before adding any stock. You think I keep dry white wine in my house on the reg? Of course not. We usually only have whiskey, rum, and red wine on hand, so I tend to skip the white wine in risotto. Also, it’s recommended to cook all vegetables separately, but I sure don’t do that either. I chop my broccoli really small and add it to the risotto towards the end of the cooking time. This method cooks the broccoli, but doesn’t allow it to get too soft or mushy.
Here’s what you need for Broccoli Cheddar Risotto:
1 1/2 cup of risotto rice
4-5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 handful of cheddar cheese First, in a pot bring your stock to a simmer. In a separate pot add olive oil and onions and heat on medium. After the onions are translucent, add the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add a ladle of stock to the rice and stir until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Repeat. After about 15 minutes add broccoli to the rice and stir. Continue adding broth. Once all the  stock has been absorbed, remove from heat and add cheese. Stir and serve! I also added a bit of grated parmesan cheese to the top.This dish is sooo simple, but still ridiculously delicious. I’ve made this dish several times and I always mean to add fresh garlic, but every time I just forget. So, if you’re feeling wild add some fresh pressed garlic. Or roasted garlic! Or bacon! Or pepper jack cheese! I don’t think you’ll regret it.