Three Cheese Risotto

I've been on a serious risotto kick lately. I've always loved it, but for some reason I'm finding rice so comforting these days. Like pasta, risotto is incredibly versatile. You can add so many different ingredients, serve it with meat or make it meat-free, whatever floats your boat.

I recently printed off this recipe for Four Cheese Spaghetti, but what I really wanted was risotto. So I figured I'd combine the cheeses and fresh herbs from the pasta recipe with my standard risotto recipe. The result was, in a word, outstanding.



This time of year I can't take a good food picture to save my life, so forgive me for the less-than-stellar photo that accompanies this post. Just close your eyes and imagine if creamy, dreamy risotto had a love child with mac and cheese. That's basically what you've got here. We couldn't get enough of this one. Katie took the leftovers to school for lunch and practically licked the Thermos clean.

Three Cheese Risotto
Inspired by Damn Delicious

6-8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan then turn down the heat and keep at a simmer.

In a deep, heavy skillet, melt the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic and Italian seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes or until the shallot is tender. Add the rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes to toast the rice, stirring frequently.

Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, add 1 ladle (approx. 1 cup) of the simmering stock. Stir the rice every so often, making sure to push down any rice stuck to the edges of the pans. Once the liquid is nearly absorbed, add another ladle of stock. Continue to do this until the rice is cooked but still slightly chewy. Taste the rice after about 20 minutes to check the consistency. If you notice you're running low on broth, add more to the saucepan so you don't run out.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add in the chopped herbs, stir to combine, then serve.