Garlic Butter Shiitake Mushroom Goat Cheese Risotto

Flavorful garlic butter and tender shiitake mushrooms take this creamy goat cheese risotto to the next level! Ready in only 30 minutes in one pot!

Whew, this past week has been a doozy. We all need a bowl of this goat cheese risotto like yesterday.

I know Thanksgiving seems like a far off event with everything happening in the U.S. right now, but I’m here to tell you that this risotto changes the sides GAME!

And you should totally plan for it making an appearance on your table this year.

At my family’s Thanksgiving, we always, always have a rice dish on the table and it’s actually almost always the first thing to be completely cleared out.

Before the mashed potatoes, I KNOW. Don’t underestimate the power of a dang good rice dish.

This Goat Cheese Risotto features…

• Flavorful garlic butter
• Tender sauteed shiitake mushrooms
• Soft crumbled goat cheese
• A creamy, herby arborio rice risotto base

Making the Risotto

(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!)

Garlic Butter Shiitake Mushrooms

Start by sautéing shiitake mushrooms in a little butter. Season generously with s&p to taste and throw a bunch of fresh garlic + herbs in the pan during the last several minutes of cooking.

Set the mushrooms aside to keep warm and now we’re moving into making the risotto.

Risotto

Mince up a small shallot and let that cook in the pan until just translucent. Toss in your arborio rice and stir it around several minutes until very lightly toasted.

Deglaze the pan with a little white wine (or chicken broth to keep it alcohol-free!)

Now we’re going to start the start the slow risotto cooking process. >> add a ladle-full of warm chicken broth to the arborio rice, let it cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid is evaporated. Repeat.

It’s essential for this step that you keep your heat on medium to medium-low and DO NOT rush this slow braising process. It’s the slow cooking in only a little broth at a time that gives risotto it’s impeccable creamy texture.

It should take 15-20 minutes to add all the broth and fully cook the rice, but taste the risotto occasionally to determine tenderness.

Once the risotto is tender, stir in crumbled fresh goat cheese until melted and fold in the shiitakes. Garnish the top with a little extra goat cheese + fresh herbs.

Make Ahead Option

Risotto is typically best served immediately after it’s made, but there is a make ahead option if you’re cooking up a storm and need to keep sides warm. >>

1. Make the risotto base and immediately after it’s done, put it in a slow cooker set on WARM setting. Keep warm in the slow cooker up to 4 hours.
2. Just before serving, follow the steps to make the garlic butter shiitake mushrooms.
3. Fold the shiitake mushrooms + goat cheese into risotto just before serving. If the risotto has dried out a bit in the slow cooker, gently fold in a little more warmed chicken broth until creamy again.

Y’all, this risotto is the COZIEST side! The creamy goat cheese, garlic butter, fresh herbs, and savory shiitakes play a mean flavor game together.

Plus it’s SO easy. If you ever thought risotto was too hard to make, let this recipe change your mind! 30ish minutes start to finish.

Like a fall hug in a bowl. With carbs so we’re all around winning.

More Thanksgiving sides your menu needs!

• Roasted Garlic Asiago Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
• Cranberry Apple Delicata Squash Quinoa Salad
• Asiago Sage Pumpkin Alfredo Gnocchi