Have you ever eaten a piece of apple pie topped with a slice of cheddar cheese? It may sound weird, but it’s actually really good, and it’s where I got the inspiration for this risotto dish. The tang from the cheese combined with the sweetness from the apples makes this creamy risotto really delicious. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Since risotto requires constant stirring, making a batch forces me to slow down and dedicate a good half of an hour to simply standing over the stove and stirring. It’s a perfect time to clear my head and focus on one thing, a really creamy and tender risotto.
In a small pot, bring 5 cups of vegetable stock to a simmer. Cover and keep hot.
In a separate, large, thick-bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Chop one apple into small half inch cubes and add to the pot. Sauté on medium heat for 15 minutes or until the apple is soft. Add ½ cup of minced shallots and sauté for 5 minutes longer. Add 1 ½ cups of arborio rice and sauté for an additional minute. Add ½ cup of dry white wine to the pot and simmer until the wine has completely evaporated.
Ladle the hot broth, one ladle at a time, into the rice. Stir the rice continuously until the broth is evaporated before adding the next ladle. You want the rice mixture to cook at a slow simmer, gradually taking up the moisture from the broth with each ladle full. It should take about 30-35 minutes to stir in all 5 cups of broth. Enjoy the time it takes to make this risotto. Sip on a glass of wine or listen to a podcast while you cook. Steady the soul.
Once the broth has been added to the risotto, add 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ of nutmeg and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Adjust for seasoning once more and serve immediately.
Apple and Cheddar Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 apple, chopped into ½ inch cubes
- ½ cup shallot, minced
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a small pot, bring 5 cups of vegetable stock to a simmer. Keep hot.
- In a separate pot or dutch oven, melt olive oil and butter.
- Chop one apple into small half inch cubes and sauté for 15 minutes or until the apple is soft.
- Add minced shallots and sauté for 5 minutes longer.
- Add arborio rice and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add white wine to the pot and simmer until the wine has completely evaporated.
- Ladle the hot broth, one ladle at a time, into the rice. Stir the rice continuously until the broth is evaporated before adding the next ladle.
- Once all broth has been added to the risotto, add salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Stir in shredded cheddar cheese.
- Adjust for seasoning once more and serve immediately.
