whenever i think of crockpot or slow cooker recipes, i automatically think of cooking some kind of meat whether it’s chicken, pork, beef, whatever it may be. but i had no idea that you can make so many other things in the slow cooker like desserts and even risotto!
if you read miki’s kitchen regularly, you know i love risotto – and now i may love it even more knowing that you can make it in the slow cooker! i had resigned to the fact that in order to have risotto i had to stand in front of the stove stirring and stirring and stirring. not anymore!!!
although it’s not authentic risotto because it isn’t made on the stovetop with lots of stirring, it still is perfectly creamy and amazing just like stovetop risotto. this risotto is full of tender butternut squash and a sprinkling of peas. isn’t it pretty! i just love the beautiful orangey-yellow color of the squash and the bright green of the peas.
if you’re looking for an easy and actually relatively quick slow cooker meal (it only takes a little more than 2 hours, compared to most slow cooker meals that take 4-6 hours), please try this crockpot butternut squash risotto.
of course, the risotto starts with the butternut squash.
peel and chop that bad boy up. i ended up getting about 5 cups of chopped squash from mine, so i saved some of it for later.
set the squash aside and saute the onions and garlic in the melted butter.
once the onions are translucent, add the arborio rice.
cook for a few minutes, making sure each grain of rice is covered with the butter.
then add the white wine (i was actually out of white wine, so i added the same amount of chicken broth).
stir constantly for about 5 minutes until all of the wine or broth is absorbed.
pour the rice mixture into the bowl of your crockpot/slow cooker.
then add the chicken broth and chopped butternut squash.
mix it up and put the cover on – then set the cooker to high and cook for about 2 hours.
after about 2 hours, it ends up looking like this…
you should take a closer look. checkout how creamy it is, even without the cheese and even without being made on the stovetop!
so now, add the frozen peas and stir to incorporate the peas throughout the risotto.
allow the risotto to cook for another 5 minutes or so.
turn the crockpot off and add the cheese, salt, and pepper.
mix and it’s ready to eat!
Crockpot Butternut Squash Risotto
adapted slightly from Parents Need to Eat Too
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine (you can use vegetable or chicken broth if you don’t have white wine on hand)
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
- ½ cup frozen peas (do not defrost!)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then sauté the onions and garlic.
- When the onion is translucent (3-5 minutes), add the rice and cook for a minute or two, stirring to coat each grain with butter, until the rice makes a clacking sound, like beads.
- Add the wine or broth and cook until almost completely absorbed, another 5-6 minutes.
- Scrape contents of skillet into the slow cooker.
- Add the broth and cubed squash, stir, cover, and cook on high for 2-2 ½ hours. Check at around the 2-hour mark; when it’s done the liquid will be mostly—but not completely—absorbed and the rice will be al dente and the squash is tender.
- Add the peas, stir, and recover pot for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the slow cooker and stir in the Parmesan cheese and then season with salt & pepper.
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