Rules I break on the regular:
The speed limit (I set my cruise to 4 mph over. Wild, I know!)Samples at the grocery store (the sign usually says “Take One” buuuuuuut)Happy hour (“I can still squeeze my order in at 6:01 p.m., right?).
And the biggest one of all: don’t try a new recipe for the first time the night you are hosting a dinner party. Unless that recipe is this slow cooker risotto with butternut squash and goat cheese. In which case, rules were made to be broken.
Slow Cooker Risotto – The Easy Method
Risotto and I have a long history of rule-breaking. The first time I ever made it was for a dinner party (broken rule #1). Firm believer in whole grains that I am, I decided to make it with brown rice instead of white (broken rule #2), unaware that the swap would cause the risotto to take an extra 40 minutes to cook. By the time the finished brown rice risotto was on the table, we’d gone through two bottles of wine and an entire cheese plate. Today’s recipe for slow cooker risotto follows along with my rebellious risotto ways. I
I’ve used brown rice again and ignored the traditional Parmesan in favor of goat cheese (though I won’t stop you if you use both).Best and baddest of all, I removed the risotto from the stovetop completely. This easy butternut squash risotto is made right in your crock pot, no stirring required!
If you were to taste traditional stovetop risotto and this slow cooker risotto side by side, you might detect a slight difference in texture (the slow cooker risotto isn’t quite as creamy), but honestly, the difference is marginal. The ultimate ease of this no-stir slow cooker method outweighs any negatives. Still worried about the creamy? Add extra goat cheese. It’s ultra luscious and velvety and makes the texture of the risotto absolutely dreamy.
Serving Suggestions
This slow cooker risotto recipe is flexible and adaptable too!
Serve it as a main dish, or serve it along with a big healthy vegetable salad.Serve it as a fuss-free side dish (with Baked Parmesan Chicken perhaps?).Bulk it up by mixing in sautéed spinach, Italian chicken or turkey sausage.
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
Programmable Slow Cooker. The insert can be used on the stovetop, meaning that for recipes where you begin by browning veggies and/or meat, you can use it on the stove first, then pop it right into the slow cooker and save yourself a dish. GENIUS.
