Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Risotto
Nothing says comfort like a big bowl of creamy risotto! Especially when it's made with bacon and mushroom. And the best part is that it takes literally no time in my instant pot! What a game changer technology has contributed to the world of cooking!
My creamy bacon mushroom risotto is a one pot meal that will satisfy little people and big people in your household. We love rice in our house and would have rice withdrawal if we didn't get our weekly fix.
Risotto is a Northern Italian dish where the rice is slowly cooked in broth to produce a creamy consistency. Mushrooms, meats, cheese, white wine, butter and other vegetables may be added to one's preference. Generally, a short grain rice called Arborio is used. However, I have a hard time finding this particular rice grain. So I use my medium grain Calrose rice and it works beautifully. Calrose has a nice starchy consistency and produces a super creamy risotto. So, if you can't find Arborio rice; try using medium grain Calrose. I frequently shop at Costco, so I always have a fifty pound bag of Calrose rice.
I enjoy a rich and savory risotto with meat and cheese. I've added bacon, mushroom, white wine and parmesan cheese to my recipe tailored to my
flavor palette. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! And for my vegetarian foodies; you can easily transform this into a meat free dish by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable and removing the bacon.
For the wine in this dish, use a good white wine that you enjoy drinking. The flavor to your liking is important. Don't use a wine you don't enjoy. I am using a chardonnay that has a crispy clean non sour profile. I'm using the Wente Riva Ranch Chadonnay from Livermore, California. ***Not sponsored. I just enjoy my food and wines!
Ingredients
10-Minutes Prep, 25-Minutes Cook Time, Serves 6
4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1.5 cups)
6 bacon strips chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dry/1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups arborio/medium grain Calrose rice
1/2 cup white wine divided (one that you enjoy drinking)
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan/dry parmesan
Video Premiere On Wednesday, March 17th at 5:30pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Method
Prepare ingredients; cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces, mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms and chop the onion. Mince fresh thyme leaves if not using dry thyme.
Set the IP on sauté. Add bacon and cook till crispy. Reserve a few chunks for garnish (optional).
Add onions and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. The base of the pot should be getting crusty, deglazed with 1/4 cup white wine to prevent the flavors from burning. Add mushrooms and stir.
Add garlic powder, black pepper and thyme. Stir.
Add in the rice and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Stir to prevent burning. The base of the pot should be getting crusty again, deglazed with the last 1/4 cup white wine to prevent the flavors from burning. Stir.
Add the chicken stock and give it a good stir.
Cancel the sauté mode. Secure lid and close vent. Set on high pressure/meat stew for 5-minutes. Quick release.
Add the butter and parmesan to finish the risotto. The butter and parmesan makes the risotto super glossy and creamy!
Serve with reserved crispy bacon bits, fresh chopped thyme and ground pepper as garnishes.