Name: Baked Risotto with Mushrooms
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 7 Baby Bella mushrooms (chopped small); ½ large sweet onion (diced); ¼ cup white wine (like pinot Grigio); 1 ½ cups arborio rice; 5 cups chicken stock (separated); 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper; ¼ tsp dried thyme; 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Risotto is a food I love but hardly ever make at home… until now. It is known for being a totally hands on recipe that takes 45 – 60 minutes to make. Who has time for that? That’s when I decided to try Baked Risotto. It is all the same ingredients, Arborio rice being the star, but rather than nursing it to creamy goodness I put it in a dutch oven and let the oven do the work.

This Baked Risotto with Mushrooms still takes about 10 minutes of active cooking time and 45 minutes of baking in the oven but it is much more manageable than regular risotto recipes. Once you get the method down, which isn’t complicated at all, you can switch up the mix-in ingredients and really get creative.

About the Ingredients

Arborio Rice – 1 1/2 cups of uncooked arborio rice. This rice has a ton of starch that releases slowly which is what gives risotto that ultra creamy texture. There is no substitutions on this ingredient. When you purchase the rice it will most often come in a vacuum sealed package. This is to keep the moisture out so the starch doesn’t start to release. Make sure you seal up any unused rice tightly.

Onion – 1/2 of one sweet onion, diced

Mushrooms – 7 baby Bella mushrooms, diced small

White Wine – 1/4 cup for deglazing the pan and scraping those delicious brown bits.

Chicken Stock – 5 cups, separated

Seasonings – dried thyme, salt and pepper

Parmesan Cheese – 2 tablespoons of grated or shredded parmesan.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations

This Baked Risotto recipe is all about the method. Once you get that down, you can really use any mix-in ingredients your heart desires. Some ideas for combination flavors for Baked Risotto are:

Asparagus tips and sun-dried tomatoes – sauté the asparagus tips in the pot before baking the risotto. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes after the risotto is baked.
Green beans and shallots – sauté the green beans and shallots in the pot before baking the risotto.
Artichoke hearts, peas and feta – begin the recipe by baking the risotto. Stir in the artichoke hearts, frozen peas and feta after the risotto is baked. Heat all the way through and serve hot!

How to Make Baked Risotto with Mushrooms

Start by cutting dicing your onion and mushrooms. Sauté them in a little bit of olive oil in a dutch oven. Once brown, add the white wine, scraping all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Next, add the arborio rice. Give it a stir and let the rice toast for just a minute. Pour over 4 cups of chicken stock and cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Remove the pot to the stove and remove the lid. Add dried thyme, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Give everything a good stir to mix it in. If the Baked Risotto is too thick, add a little more chicken stock a quarter of a cup at time. Stir after each stock addition until the consistency is just right. Serve immediately!

FAQ’s and Recipe Tips

Can I make Baked Risotto in advance? I don’t recommend it. Because the arborio rice releases so much starch, the risotto tends to thicken as it sits. This is a recipe that is best served fresh. If you need to save a little time you can prep the mix-in vegetables in advance. Sauté the mushrooms and onions and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake the risotto. Just add the vegetables, stock and rice all at once and pop the whole thing in the oven.

I don’t have arborio rice. Can I use a different type of rice? Unfortunately, no. Arborio rice is what gives risotto its creamy texture because of the starch it releases. Other rice won’t have the same texture and you’ll end up with a pot of rice, mostly burnt to the pot.

Can I add protein and make Baked Risotto as a one pot meal? Definitely! Cook your protein separately while the risotto bakes and then add it on top of the risotto when plating it. Grilled shrimp, chicken breast or thinly sliced steak are all terrific options.
Is Baked Risotto vegetarian? Not if you follow the recipe exactly because I use chicken stock but you can definitely swap that out for vegetable stock. Then you have a great vegetarian dinner.

The Recipe For Baked Risotto with Mushrooms

The recipe is attached below for easy downloading and printing. If you test it out be sure to leave a note in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you thought and if you tried a different vegetable combination. Enjoy!