Baked Chicken Risotto with Goat Cheese & Spinach

Risotto kind of eluded me for a while. It’s an Italian rice dish that’s made with short grain rice and stock. I had heard that it was rich and creamy and could be used as a base for lots of different ingredients. But I had never tried it until one day I made it on the stove top following directions that made me stand over the stove for a half hour and stir. Oddly enough Matt didn’t like it. For a while I ignored my urges to try it. Until I found out you could bake it.

It’s so foolproof (not that I or you are fools). But a simple prep followed by a toss in the oven and forget not only made it easier on me, but it turned out better than on the stove! If you’re still making risotto the old way where you’re stirring it for a half hour, you’re missing out. And if you’ve never made it before, it is so easy!

One of the great things about risotto is it’s a great way to use up leftovers. Since I’m a college student on a tight budget, you can’t let leftovers go to waste. We just happened to have extra pale ale chicken so I tossed it in the baked risotto with caramelized onions, spinach, goat cheese, and a bit of lemon.

But you could add anything to this dish- meat or veggies. You could make a pancetta and mushroom risotto or a butternut squash and leek risotto. The possibilities are endless!

This dish was wonderful. At the end you can add extra water to the pot to make it just the right consistency that you like. I’ve seen bowls of risotto that have a soupy look, but I like mine creamy, but not soupy. The rice was cooked perfectly in the oven. Everything I included in my risotto are some of my favorites so of course it was absolutely delicious. How can it not be? Bacon, chicken, cheese, and lemon? Yum!

The best part of making this tonight means I get risotto cakes with poached eggs tomorrow!

Baked Chicken Risotto with Goat Cheese & Spinach
Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup spinach
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp goat cheese
Cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

2. In an ovenproof saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

4. Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute.

5. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

6. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

7. Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, chicken, and parsley. Serve immediately.