I can confidently say this is the best creamy mushroom risotto I ever made. For a relatively simple creamy risotto recipe, it boasts huge flavour. This is also a wonderful side dish for chicken or turkey, or a standalone dish for vegetarians. Try it for Thanksgiving or Christmas! This tasty dish from Northern Italy is made with white wine or chardonnay and shiitake and cremini (baby bella) mushrooms.
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Enjoy this mushroom risotto side dish with shiitake mushroom or cremini mushroom. It’s so versatile – a tasty dish and fantastic recipe for anything from a dinner party to an indulgent supper. This creamy risotto with parmesan cheese is guaranteed to put a smile on every face.
Mushroom Risotto Ingredients
For the best creamy mushroom risotto, you need to use the right rice. Arborio rice is the most popular choice for the best risotto, although carnaroli seems to enhance the creamy texture because it’s slightly starchier. You can use either of those risotto rice options here.
I like to use shiitake and cremini (known as baby bella) mushrooms but you can use any kind you want, including the dried kind you need to rehydrate in liquid first. You will still end up with the most delicious risotto.
Heavy cream and butter make this simple risotto recipe indulgent, while a dry white wine or Chardonnay adds exquisite flair. Chicken stock, shallots, garlic, thyme, black pepper, and lemon also harmonize in this risotto. Whether you make it as a side dish for chicken or turkey, for Thanksgiving or Christmas, there’s no doubt it’s a special recipe!
You can substitute in vegetable stock or vegetable broth instead of the chicken if you are looking for a vegetarian option.
How to Make Risotto Like a Pro
Being Italian, I have a lot of passion for classic Italian dishes, and this simple risotto recipe is one of them! If you haven’t made risotto from scratch before, don’t worry. It’s pretty straightforward to end up with a great dish based on any kind of mushroom you prefer. This recipe is a great option for a side dish and could also be a main dish.
Fry the shallots and thyme in butter and then add the shiitake and baby bella mushrooms. Add the garlic and cook, then take the pan off the heat.
Now cook the rice in a little butter then add the dry white wine or Chardonnay and lemon. Although a dry white wine is the best wine for risotto, you can definitely use another kind in your risotto rice for a nice result. In a pinch, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio could also be used. Pour a glass of wine for yourself, too!
Add the hot chicken broth, a ladle at a time, waiting until the liquid cooks off before adding the next. You should keep stirring all the time but stir slowly not fast. Medium heat is best. The rice will soak up the liquids. Finally add in all the remaining ingredients and serve this delicious risotto hot.
When making this great recipe, don’t take the shortcut of throwing all the liquid in at once! The result won’t be the same.
Risotto Tips and Tricks
There is a reason to add the liquid bit by bit. The rice starch must be slowly released for the risotto to become creamy. Although there are no-stir risotto recipes, I just prefer to make the best creamy mushroom recipe the classic way. I always get a great result. Once the rice is perfectly (al dente) cooked the risotto is done.
Some people might find they need extra broth while others prefer a more ‘dry’ risotto. Either way, use your own judgment when making this special Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish for chicken or turkey and you’ll be fine.
The great risotto flavour of the fresh mushrooms (any type of mushroom you want) combined with the wine and other ingredients is just indescribably good! If you are a fan of mushrooms like I am, you have to try these vegan stuffed mushrooms.
How to Store Leftover Risotto
Of course, I assume everyone will say this is the best creamy mushroom risotto ever and you won’t have leftovers! But what if you do? Well, you can transfer the risotto into an airtight container and refrigerate it for 4 or 5 days.
Meat or fish-based risottos should really be used within 2 or 3 days but this one is fine for a little longer. Don’t freeze it. That seems to degrade the texture quite a lot and it will no longer taste like the best mushroom risotto.
How to Warm Leftover Risotto Back Up
This mouth-watering combination of rice, shiitake and cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, dry white wine or Chardonnay, and seasonings, can be reheated. There are different ways to do this. You can give it a few minutes in the microwave, adding in a little white wine, broth or water first. If you choose this method, use a microwave-safe dish and stir the risotto every 30 seconds so it warms up evenly.
Another method would be warming it back on the stove. Again, add a little wine and butter in so it doesn’t dry out. I like to add some extra butter too. I expect you can warm it back up using a steamer basket but I haven’t tried that.
From Risotto into Arancini
Arancini are fried balls of rice and you can make leftover risotto into these. Starting off with the best creamy mushroom homemade risotto means the filling will be delicious. Roll the Thanksgiving risotto into little balls then roll in flour, dip in egg and roll in breadcrumbs. You can now either pan fry these rice balls until crispy or else just throw them in an air fryer or deep fat fryer.
Creamy Mushroom Risotto Recipe
The BEST Creamy Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 Cup mushrooms sliced, shiitake and/or cremmini
- 1 Cup heavy cream
- 3 1/4 Cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2/3 Cup chardonnay
- 1 Cup rice arborio
- 1 Cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 6 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 2 shallots Small, minced
- 3 Cloves garlic minced
- 2 Sprigs thyme fresh
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground pepper fresh
- Roasted lemon slices for garnish – optional
Instructions
- Heat the broth in a small saucepan so that it is hot but not boiling
- In a large skillet on medium high heat, melt 3 Tablespoons of butter, add in the shallots and one sprig of time, cook until shallots are translucent then add in the mushrooms.
- Cook mixture until the mushrooms and shallots start to brown, then add in the garlic and season with a little bit of the salt and pepper. Once the mixture is nice and golden brown remove from heat and pour onto a plate. Set aside for later.
- Return the pan to the heat, turn the stove down to medium heat and add in the remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter.
- Once the butter is melted add the arborio rice and cook until the rice goes from white to translucent. This should take about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down if the rice begins to brown.
- Pour in the white wine, lemon juice and remaining sprig of thyme. Bring the dish to a simmer stirring frequently. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, add in 1 cup of the broth. Following the same process as the wine, stir frequently and wait until most of the broth has been absorbed before adding in another cup of the broth. Do this until the broth is gone and the rice is tender, but with a bite (al dente).
- When you pour in the last ¼ cup of broth, add in the salt, pepper, and ½ of the mushroom mixture at the same time.
- When the liquid has been absorbed, turn heat to low. Add in the heavy cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Cook this mixture for a few minutes until it is combined and the parmesan is melted.
- Serve garnished with additional parmesan, fresh ground black pepper, the remaining mushrooms, and a roasted lemon slice.
Nutrition
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
This simple risotto recipe with dry white wine or Chardonnay, shiitake and cremini mushrooms (also known as baby bellas) and the best seasonings and spices, is a winner. Make this creamy rice dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas or for another special occasion. It is the perfect side dish for chicken or turkey, and the best creamy consistency mushroom risotto I’ve made! This could be the most perfect risotto recipe ever!
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
My mouth is watering!