Crockpot Risotto

I don't know about y'all, but I love the convenience of my crock pot/slow cooker.  It's so nice to be able to throw stuff in and pretty much forget about it.  I've been collecting recipes to try (Must Eats - Crock Pot), and this risotto is one I was definitely intrigued by, since risotto is anything but a throw in a pot and forget it type dish.

This comes from A Year of Slow Cooking -


-1 1/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice
--1/4 cup olive oil
--1/4 cup white wine
--3 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth  *I used chicken
--1 t dried onion flakes
--5 cloves chopped garlic  *I used 2 small cloves
--1 t kosher salt
--1/4 t black pepper

--2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese (to add at the very end)


The Directions.

--toss the uncooked Arborio rice with the olive oil in your crockpot stoneware
--add the seasonings and garlic
--pour in the broth and white wine
--stir to mix flavors

--cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the rice is tender. It took 2.5 hours for me.

--stir in the shredded cheese and leave uncovered for about 15 minutes to let a bit of the moisture escape

The final product will be very creamy and have a porridge-like consistency.


Verdict?  This has all the flavor of classic risotto, which I love, with none of the 'work' (it's not really hard, you just can't walk away and leave it on the stove to boil, it requires some attention!)  However, it has the consistency of oatmeal (which was pointed out in the original recipe, so I wasn't surprised).  I didn't mind the texture really, but I didn't love it either, and my kids didn't like it.  So, even though this was very convenient, tasted good, and pared well with roast chicken, I'll probably stick to the traditional method.  As with all foods, it's up to each individual as to whether they like this or not.  


**Which reminds me....when someone posts recipes on their blog, and you try it and don't like it, is it fair to leave nasty, negative comments? It's not their fault they liked a dish and you didn't.  Or maybe you did something wrong?  Everyone has different taste preferences.  No, I'm not talking from personal experience (as of yet), but this happened to another blogger.  She's not a chef, or writing a cookbook (to my knowledge), she just likes to post recipes and home projects, etc.  It just so happened that one of her recipes got picked up by Pinterest and spread like wild fire.  Then she started getting several nasty comments (not all negative, but enough to get my panties in a knot), and I just didn't get it.  Anyway, that's my little mini-rant.  

via

I'm sure this doesn't apply to any of YOU, b/c my readers are FABULOUS :)  

and y'all know that I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time anyway.

I'm linking this recipe up at All the Small Stuff, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday at 33 Shades of Green, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, From Mess Hall to Bistro