Oven-Baked Risotto (GF)

 

Oven Baked Risotto (GF)

(8-12 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. Olive Oil

¾ cup Onion, chopped

2 cups Arborio Rice

1 cup Dry White Wine

5 cups Chicken Broth

1¼ cups Parmesan Cheese, grated

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, cut up

2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped

to taste Salt and Pepper

1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Warm oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté about 3 minutes or until softened.  Now add rice and cook and stir for 4-6 minutes or until rice is golden.  Add wine off heat and after returning to heat, cook and stir until liquid has evaporated.  Next add chicken broth, stir to combine and bring to a simmer.  Cover with lid and place in a pre-heated 375-degree oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until rice is al dente.  Remove mixture from oven.  Move oven rack to upper third of oven and pre-heat broiler on high.  To the mixture, stir in Parmesan cheese, butter and basil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Gently stir in two-thirds of tomatoes.  Then top mixture with remaining tomatoes.  Place under broiler for about 3 minutes or until tomatoes are slightly softened.  Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if you so desire and serve. 

Notes:              This makes a great side dish.  But by adding some cooked rotisserie chicken (about one pound) you could make it a great entrée dish.  Chop up chicken and add when you add the chicken broth.

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Mushroom Risotto (GF)

 

Mushroom Risotto (GF)

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

5-6 cups Chicken Broth

1 tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 large Leek, rinsed, drained and chopped

12 oz. Fresh Mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

2 tbsp. Dried Porcini Mushrooms, chopped

1½ cups Arborio Rice

½ cup Dry White Wine

1 tsp. Salt

5 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (freshly in possible)

2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, warm chicken broth and keep warm.  In a 3-quart sauce pan over medium heat, warm oil and butter (1 tbsp.).  Add leeks and cook 5-7 minutes.  Then add mushrooms and continue to cook until soft (another 5-7 minutes).  Pour in wine and cook until mostly evaporated.  Next add rice and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes.  This is to ensure that all the rice is coated with the oil/butter mixture.  Pour one cup of broth and the salt in pan and stir in a gentle simmer until broth is absorbed.  Do not let it boil.  Add another cup of broth and repeat the process until rice is tender but still slightly firm.  Taste to see if rice is done.  After last cup of broth has been added and absorbed, remove from the heat.  Now stir in the 5 tbsp. of butter and the Parmesan cheese.  Continue stirring until rice is a nice creamy consistency.  Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley and a little more Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes:              You could use onion in place of the leeks if needed.

Notes:              Remember to make sure all your ingredients are gluten-free.

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Gluten-Free Risottos

If you haven’t tried a “Risotto” before, you’re missing out on a great dish.  It can be used as an entrée or side dish, which makes it very flexible.

Risotto is an Italian way of cooking rice.  But it does require using a particular type of rice.  The main and best one to use is “Arborio” rice.

The process for cooking risotto rice is different from cooking any other rice.  With most rice cooking you put combine water and rice, bring it to a boil, cover with a lid and turn down heat to a simmer and let it go about 25 minutes.

The Italian way with risotto, you brown the rice a little before adding liquid.  But you don’t add all the liquid at once.  You usually add a cup at a time.  Once that liquid is absorbed, you add another cup and repeat the process until you have added all the required liquid.

You don’t normally use water for the liquid.  Recipes usually call for chicken or vegetable broth.  They also call for white wine to be used before you start with the broth.

So give our two recipes this week a try.  Wednesday’s choice is “Mushroom Risotto (GF)” and is your traditional risotto.  Thursday’s recipe uses a different method when you try “Oven Baked Risotto (GF)” using the oven and broiler.

Hope you enjoy both of these recipes and until next time, “Happy Cooking” and please share with others.  Thanks.

Taco Tot Casserole

 

Taco Tot Casserole

(8-12 servings)

Ingredients:

2 lb. Ground Chuck

6 tbsp. Taco Seasoning, divided

2 cups Onion, chopped

1 can (15 oz.) Black Beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded

2 lb. Tater Tots

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground chuck and onion with 4 tbsp. of taco seasoning.  When meat is no longer pink, add the beans and stir to combine and heat through.  Spread the mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Top evenly with the cheese.  In a medium bowl, place tater tots and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Toss now with remaining taco seasoning.  Place these tots on top of the cheese to cover the entire dish.  Put in a pre-heated oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until tater tots are crispy.  Serve with your usual taco toppings like sour cream, diced tomatoes, cubed avocado and salsa.

Notes:              To make this dish a little healthier, you could use ground chicken or turkey instead of the ground chuck.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Tater Tot Casserole #2

 

Tater Tot Casserole #2

(8-12 servings)

Ingredients:

2 lb. Ground Chuck

½ cup Onion, chopped

2 lb. Tater Tots

1 pt. Sour Cream

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1½ soup cans Milk

1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

1 lb. Velveeta Cheese

2 cups Ritz Crackers, crushed (see note)

½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground chuck and onion until no longer pink.  Drain and set aside.  In a greased 9x13 baking dish, arrange tater tots across the bottom.  In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, soup, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour this mixture over the tater tots and smooth out covering all the tots.  Slice Velveeta cheese and place over soup mixture.  Now spread meat mixture over the cheese.  In a small bowl, mix Ritz crackers with the melted butter.  Sprinkle this over the meat evenly.  Place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Let set 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:              You could also use crushed corn flakes instead of the Ritz crackers in this dish.

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Tater Tot Casseroles

 Continuing with cold weather foods, tater tot casseroles are another big hit in the winter.  In Minnesota, instead of casserole, these dishes are called a “Hot Dish” and it can be confusing the first time you’re asked to bring one to a get together.

I already have a tater tot casserole on the blog, so Wednesday’s dish is called “Tater Tot Casserole #2” so you know the difference.

Thursday we have “Taco Tot Casserole” for a little different flavor.

There are many tater tot casserole recipes out there.  So if you like these and want to try more, just check the web.

So until next time, “Happy Cooking” and help me spread these recipes to others.  Thanks.