Creamy Bacon & Mushroom Risotto

When eating a good risotto, I always feel like it’s a very indulgent dish and normally it’s with good reason too.

Risotto is generally made with the finest olive oils, lashings of butter and of course, let’s not forget that good splash or two of good quality white wine.

You would be right to feel that this is not the greatest dish to be eating if you are on a diet or a healthy eating plan but with a few little swaps and changes, there is no reason that you cannot enjoy your favourite risotto even when you are counting the calories.

This creamy Bacon & Mushroom Risotto is the ultimate comfort food and is so easy to make. It may even become your go-to dish for entertaining friends or just to immerse yourself in whilst cosying up on the sofa watching your favourite box set.

Stock for the risotto can be made up with your favourite good-quality chicken stock. This risotto used a Knorr chicken stock cube to give that quality flavour hit.

Remember, if you use a good quality stock, you will end up with a good quality risotto.

How to make this dish.

Bring a pot of chicken stock to a boil then reduce t a simmer. Meanwhile, bring a large frying pan to saute pan to medium-high heat.

Spray the base of the pot with One-Cal or Fry-Light cooking spray oil and add the diced onions and sliced bacon strips and fry off until the bacon is cooked through and the onions have become soft and translucent.

Note: If the pan becomes a little dry, loosen it off with a little of the stock.

Add the sliced garlic and freshly sliced red chilli to the onion and bacon and stir through until well combined with the onions and bacon

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot, stir well to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes. The mushrooms will start to release some of their beautiful liquid.

Add the rice and stir well to combine, the rice will start to soak up and take on that lovely flavour of the mushrooms so take a little time to ensure that all the rice has been coated.

Add the stock to the pan, one ladle at a time, stirring through and waiting until the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock.

Note: As the rice soaks up the chicken stock it will start to release its starch and the rice will start to become lovely and creamy.

Continue to add stock until the rice has become cooked through but still firm to the bite.

Note: If the texture of the rice is becoming a little thick, simply add a little more stock if you need to.

Take the pan off the heat, add the chopped parsley and the light cream cheese, stir through until well combined and you are ready to serve your creamy bacon and mushroom risotto.

Garnish with a little freshly chopped parsley and some parmesan shavings (Optional).

Note: The light cream cheese and parmesan garnish are both optional, this risotto is just as good on its own.

Creamy Bacon & Mushroom Risotto

Recipe by Steve Walker

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (finely diced)

• 3 rashers of smoked back bacon (all visible fat removed, sliced into thin strips)

• 2 Garlic cloves (crushed or grated)

• 1 fresh red chilli (sliced)

• 150g sliced mushrooms (thickly sliced)
  1 red pepper (sliced)

• 1 cup of Arborio risotto rice.

• 1 Litre Chicken stock
  1/2 cup frozen peas

• Fry-Light or One-Cal spray oil

• 25g Parmesan cheese (shavings) (optional)

• Sea Salt

• Cracked black pepper

• Chopped Parsley

Directions

• Bring a pot of chicken stock to a boil then reduce t a simmer. Meanwhile, bring a large frying pan to saute pan to medium-high heat.
• Spray the base of the pot with One-Cal or Fry-Light cooking spray oil and add the diced onions and sliced bacon strips and fry off until the bacon is cooked through and the onions have become soft and translucent.
  
  Note: If the pan becomes a little dry, loosen off with a little of the stock.
• Add the sliced garlic and freshly sliced red chilli to the onion and bacon and stir through until well combined with the onions and bacon
• Add the crushed garlic and freshly sliced red chilli to the onion and bacon and stir through until well combined with the onions and bacon.
• Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot, stir well to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes. The mushrooms will start to release some of their beautiful liquid.
• Add the rice and stir well to combine, the rice will start to soak up and take on that lovely flavour of the mushrooms so take a little time to ensure that all the rice has been coated.
• Add the stock to the pan, one ladle at a time, stirring through and waiting until the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock.
  
  Continue to add stock until the rice has become cooked through but still firm to the bite.
  
  Note: As the rice soaks up the chicken stock it will start to release its starch and the rice will start to become lovely and creamy.
  
  Note: If the pan or the texture of the rice is becoming a little thick, simply add a little more stock if you need to.
• Take the pan off the heat, add the chopped parsley and the light cream cheese, stir through until well combined and you are ready to serve your creamy bacon and mushroom risotto.
• Garnish with a little freshly chopped parsley and some parmesan shavings (Optional).

Notes

• If the pan or the texture of the rice is becoming a little thick, simply add a little more stock as needed.
• As the rice soaks up the chicken stock it will start to release its starch and the rice will start to become lovely and creamy.
• The light cream cheese and parmesan garnish are both optional, this risotto is just as good on its own.