EASY Tomato Basil Oven Risotto {with Chicken}
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #139 [vol4, 8.2]
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. Grab a rotisserie chicken (or used leftovers from the grill) and make this easy meal even easier! It’s forgiving so play with the portions and make it your own. Usually risotto is a dish that has to be stirred and broth is incrementally added for 30-45 minutes but this oven recipe is hands off and so delish!
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!)
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.
Tomatoes Everywhere!
Growing up we had a swimming pool. When my sister and I left for college, my parents filled it in…with cow manure from where Dad fed the cows in winter. Needless to say their giant garden is a jungle. I brought home almost 50 pounds of tomatoes last week and they had plenty more on the vine!
Until this year their tomato crop has struggled with blossom end rot. In early spring I happened to have a conversation with a man at the garden center who told me he always adds a scoop of lime to the hole when planting tomatoes. So, when I planted for my parents I followed suit. Turns out, the extra calcium is just what they needed to thrive!
If you too have tomatoes coming out of your ears, here are two more recipes to try:
Everyday Hospitality
I chatted about practical hospitality with my friend Rebekah Fowlkes on her podcast, Wide Open Spaces. You can listen on Spotify or iTunes. Rebekah is a fun follow on Instagram. Yesterday she shared this recipe for easy Big Mac Sliders (the meat is baked then cut apart!) and I’ve marked it to try. Perfect for busy nights.
We Got Chicks
Since before moving to Kentucky over a year ago I’ve wanted chickens. A couple weeks ago we jumped in and got 6 chicks (the hottest week of the year). I’m the kind of person that figures out how to use a parachute on the way out of an airplane and these chicks feel no different! We’ve had a bit of a learning curve and are enjoying watching them grow.
Back to School / Life Update
I had a the privilege of taking our son to college (Grand Canyon Univ in Phoenix) last summer. This year my husband drove west with him and they camped 2 nights in Utah in Arches National Park. (I’m all for the outdoors AND prefer hotels.)
This year John Isaac will be a resident advisor in the dorms and maybe I’m biased but I think he will do a great job! He also changed his major this summer to mechanical engineering (it was business/entrepreneurship). We are so proud of him in all areas of life.
After taking a 4 year sabbatical from homeschooling, we are homeschooling the younger kids this year (we were doing private Christian education). Caroline is going into 8th grade and Schaeffer is 5th grade. The kids are both really excited. We’ve found an established co-op that meets one day a week where the kids take 4 classes (history, science, literature and arts — we do math on our own), and I participate in the classroom. It will surely be an adjustment but worth it in the end.
Please try the oven risotto recipe — and share it with your tomato loving friends!
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie