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Be sure to pin the recipe for Baked Risotto with Veggies, and don’t miss the giveaway at the end!

Ina Garten and I are best friends. She doesn’t know it yet, but it’s true. I mean, we’re practically the same person. Minus the career at the White House, the Food Network Star bit, and having a house in the Hamptons. Oh, and her not liking cilantro. What’s up with that? So, those things aside, we’re carbon copies.

Ok, that’s a bit of a stretch. But, she and I definitely have the same motto when it comes to entertaining. Get it done ahead of time, don’t sweat the small stuff, and never fess up to something not coming out the way you wanted it to. In fact, those are pretty good mottos for LIFE.

I love her recipe books, because I love the way she cooks. She uses good ingredients (sometimes to a fault). She keeps her recipes simple, and she takes short cuts when it doesn’t effect the quality of the dish.

One of my favorite Ina recipes is the her take on risotto. Risotto is one of my absolute favorite dishes, but who has time to stir a pot for 25 minutes before dinner? With three kids, I most certainly do not. And if I did, I wouldn’t jump at the opportunity.

In her recipe, Ina cooks the risotto in the oven instead. Brilliant. Creamy risotto without the labor. Sure, the Italians are probably shaking their fists at this, but if it’s good enough for Ina, it’s good enough for me.

I like her base recipe, but I change it up based on what I’m craving (and what’s in the fridge). The recipe I’m sharing with y’all today gets a touch of tang from feta cheese and depth of flavor from Swanson Chicken Broth. And then, because I got my veggie box delivered from my CSA, I also made a veggie hash to top it off.

My husband declared that if he had gotten this at a restaurant he would have been very pleased. To me, that kind of compliment is even better than saying I look skinny in my jeans.

To make, bring 5 cups of Swanson Chicken Broth up to a boil in a large dutch oven.

I get mine at Sam’s Club, as they come in six packs and we go through a lot of it in this house! Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Once boiling, add in the arborio rice. Cover and put in the oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop up your veggies and saute with salt and pepper.

Once your 45 minutes are up, stir in your feta, butter, white wine, salt and pepper. Top with veggies and serve! I gave mine a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar for an extra little kick.

Baked Risotto with Veggies

Ingredients

For the rice:
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
5 cups of Swanson Chicken Stock
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup white wine
3 tb butter, diced
salt and pepper to taste
For the veggies:
2 bell peppers, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
handful of basil, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 cups of broth to a simmer in a large dutch oven. Add arborio rice, cover and bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute bell peppers, zucchini, and green onions until they begin to soften. Set aside.
Remove rice from the oven, and add in the last cup of broth, the butter, wine, cheese, salt and pepper and stir until thick and creamy. Top with sauteed peppers and fresh tomatoes and basil. Serve immediately.