EASY tomato basil oven risotto {w/ chicken}
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #180 [vol5, 8.1]
This time of year tomatoes are tasty and quite plentiful. If you have basil, it’s going bonkers, too. This recipe uses both. I’ve substituted pesto and it’s just as wonderful, if not more. Usually risotto is a dish that has to be stirred over a hot stove. Broth is incrementally added for 30-45 minutes but this oven recipe is hands off and so delish!
Grab a rotisserie chicken (use leftovers from the grill or a package of raw) and make this easy meal even easier! It’s forgiving so play with the portions and make it your own.
Tomato Basil Oven Risotto
2 T butter
2.5 c chicken broth
1 c uncooked Arborio Rice (regular rice is fine)
1/2 onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 t salt (more if using homemade broth)
1/2 c baby bella mushrooms, chopped (I’ve used the entire package and none)
2 c (or more) chopped cooked chicken. *See note for raw.
1-2 c shredded mozzarella (cubed or balls work; preference is all the fat! I used colby jack this week.)
1 c (or more) tomatoes, if using cherry tomatoes, halve them
1/2 c shredded basil or 4 heaping tablespoons of pesto
Instructions
*If using raw chicken, cut into 1-2” pieces. Using kitchen shears makes for easy task. Or a knife with partially frozen meat. Just cut up the chicken. I used 1.5 lbs boneless thighs recently. Breasts work too. Add raw meat to broth and finish following recipe below.
Pour broth and butter in a 9x13 pan. Place in a cold oven then preheat oven to 400. Once preheated, stir in the next 4 ingredients and pesto if using it.
Bake, covered for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and fluff with a fork. Stir in chicken, cheese, tomatoes and basil (if not using pesto).
I like to cover again for 5 minutes so that tomatoes wilt and warm a bit. Garnish with more tomatoes and basil if desired.
If you too have tomatoes coming out of your ears, two more recipes to try:
Easy Button
Too busy to make fermented food? Here’s an easy button. We are loving this good culture cottage cheese. It has 2 different strands of live probiotics in it. Find at Costco, Walmart and Kroger. I recommend eating dairy with full fat — which helps satiety, balanced hormones and clear thinking.
Schaeffer Says
My youngest has always had a keen sense of humor. Today he said, as I made myself a bowl of cottage cheese with fresh peaches, “I would like to try that again. I have to keep trying it until I like it. It looks like kefir grains and I can’t imagine eating them. I just have to get over it.”
He has been a bottomless pit lately, undoubtedly going through a growth spurt, and knows that protein is a building block for health. Cottage cheese is great source. Good Culture cottage cheese also has probiotics!
Back to School / Life Update
Caroline is going into 9th grade and Schaeffer is 6th grade. We are homeschooling again this year and trying a different co-op. The kids will go one day a week and finish assignments at home. I’m basically the principal and not a teacher this year and like it that way. Schaeffer reminds me this is their 4th school in four years. Mom fail?
Caroline is thick into volleyball, playing right side. Schaeffer, a Kentuckian at heart, loves basketball and will play in a few months. He’s also super excited about drama. There’s a local Christ-centered quality theatre group he is loving and hopes to perform The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe in the spring.
John Isaac will be a junior at Grand Canyon University, majoring in mechanical engineering. He’s a resident assistant in a freshman dorm.
John just started preaching through 1 Peter with the theme of finding joy in the midst of suffering. I’m leading a small group of women through it as well.
Please try the oven risotto recipe — and share it with your tomato loving friends!
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie