Easy Mushroom, Parmesan Risotto

I have been looking for a good Risotto recipe for a long time now, but everything I have found is very time consuming and a real pain in the ass to stand over a stove for an hour stirring, adding, etc.

Sooo...I found three recipes* that sounded good, made some of my usual adjustments and voilà, here we go:

EASY MUSHROOM PARMESAN RISOTTO

Total: 1 hr.           Active: 10 min
Yield:  8 to 10 servings 

Note: Recipe can be cut in half with no problem.  You can also do this on the stovetop as long as you have a heavy-bottom Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Arborio rice
6 cups simmering chicken stock, low sodium, divided
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
1 large shallot, diced, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 lb. fresh Portobello and cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Bay leaf
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped, divided
1 ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup dry white wine, divided ½ & ¼ .
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add ½ shallot and 2 cloves garlic, cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the fresh mushrooms, ¼ cup wine, herbs and 1 Tbsp. butter.  Sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

Coat a Dutch Oven with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil.  Sauté the remaining ½ shallot and garlic cloves.  Add the rice and stir quickly until it is well-coated and opaque, 1 minute.  This step cooks the starchy coating and prevents the grains from sticking.  Stir in ½ cup wine and cook until it is nearly all evaporated.

Add Bay leaf and 5 cups of the chicken stock to the Dutch oven.  Stir to combine well.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente.  If cooking on the stovetop, bring mixture to a slight boil then cover and simmer on low for ~35-40 minutes, stirring half way through the process.

Remove from the oven, take out the Bay leaf, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, mushroom mixture, butter, salt and pepper to taste, and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Top with chopped parsley and serve hot.

*Recipe compiled/adapted from Ina Garten, Tyler Florence, Giada De Laurentiis (Easy Parmesan ‘Risotto’, Mushroom Risotto, Mushroom Risotto with Peas)

Might I add that baking the risotto in the oven made ALL of the difference in the world, and still came out perfectly!