Bacon and Mushroom Risotto – another dish that sort of came together by happenstance. Anyhow, it’s a wonder it took us this long to get a risotto up on the scoreboard. Vegas oddsmakers would have had one hitting the blog much sooner – and possibly another variety. Nevertheless, and we’re sure you can relate – after that weekend breakfast sometimes you have some leftover bacon that would be a sin to waste. Mushrooms are always a solid add to risotto, in fact they are a solid add to a lot of things. So much so that they find their way into the cart whenever the store marks them down. We pick them up and make a plan later 🙂
If you aren’t familiar with risotto, you should be 😀 But, in all seriousness, risotto is an Italian dish typically served as a first course. Rice and stock (or broth) combine to make a creamy, comforting delight.
The Pros: Versatile enough to add ingredients for custom flavors; can be eaten as a main course or side; we’ve never met someone who doesn’t like the stuff. Seriously.
The Cons: Only one really – it needs constant care and attention during the cooking process. This is one item you don’t want to walk away from. Trust us, it’s worth it!
You’ll want a high starch rice as the starches are what provide the signature creamy texture of risotto. We recommend arborio rice to provide a traditional and proper representation. The rice is the backbone of this dish and it is important not to rinse, pre-boil, or otherwise modify in a way that would remove some of the all-important starches referenced above.
Enough jibber-jabber, let’s cook!
Preparation: Bacon and Mushroom Risotto
Gather all ingredients and prep according to the recipe card below.
Heat the oil on medium heat in a dutch oven (preferred) or large sauce pan. Add the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent, 2 -3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the bacon and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the rice, mixing thoroughly with the contents of the pan. Add the wine, stirring to mix once again. Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the first cup of beef stock. Continue to stir semi-frequently and scrape the bottom of the pan from time to time to avoid any rice getting stuck to the bottom.
Each time the liquid begins to run low add in another cup of stock. Continue to stir semi-frequently. It will take about 25 minutes to run through all of the stock.
Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Plate immediately, garnish with parsley, and serve. As mentioned, properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy even if no cream is added, due to the starch in the grains. It should have some resistance or bite (al dente) and separate grains. It can burn easily if not tended to properly. Risotto is slightly high maintenance but will pay dividends with proper TLC. Enjoy!
Pair this with our Pollo Grigliato Ripieno (Stuffed Grilled Chicken). Just sub out the pasta for the risotto and thank us later.
Equipment: Bacon and Mushroom Risotto
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We used our “do-everything” Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. If you don’t have one of these, you should. It is worth every penny. It is so versatile and cleans up easy. Pick one up today (affiliate link).
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Bacon and Mushroom Risotto
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (preferred)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow or Sweet Onion, diced
- 1 Large Clove of Garlic, minced
- 4 slices Bacon, chopped
- 8 oz Mushrooms, sliced
- 1½ cups Arborio Rice
- ½ cup White Cooking Wine
- 32 oz Beef Stock
- ¼ cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste Careful on the salt as the bacon and stock will add salt naturally
- Diced parsley For garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil on medium heat in a dutch oven (preferred) or large sauce pan. Add the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent, 2 -3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the bacon and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the rice, mixing thoroughly with the contents of the pan. Add the wine, stirring to mix once again. Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the first cup of beef stock. Continue to stir semi-frequently and scrape the bottom of the pan from time to time to avoid any rice getting stuck to the bottom.
- Each time the liquid begins to run low add in another cup of stock. Continue to stir semi-frequently. It will take about 25 minutes to run through all of the stock.
- Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Plate immediately, garnish with parsley, and serve.
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