Sometimes I like to take boxed stuff and customize it ala Sandra Lee. This risotto recipe uses Lundberg Butternut Squash Risotto and makes for a nice side dish or it can be eaten by itself as a main meal with a side of green salad which I did last night.
The dish also takes less than 30 minutes to make, and as another bonus the dish is gluten-free. There is some kosher cow milk in the risotto mix, but it's way down on the ingredients list which means there is very little so I partook anyway.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 box Lundberg Butternut Squash Risotto
- 1/4 chicken cut into square chunks
- 1/2 portobello mushroom chopped into square chunks. You can use a whole if you like more mushroom.
- 1/4 yellow or white onion chopped into small chunks
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 cup rice milk or cow milk
- 1/4 cup shaved manchego cheese
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
Let's get cooking:
- Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into 2-qt sauce pan over medium heat. Toss the chicken chunks into the saucepan and season the chicken with some salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the chicken is golden brown.
- Toss the onions and portobello chunks into the pan. Saute with the chicken. Cook for about a minute until onion looks soft. Stir occasionally.
- Add in another 1/2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Add in the rice from the Risotto mix, and saute with the chicken, onion, and portobello for about a minute to brown the rice a bit.
- Add in the water and milk. Stir. Then add in and stir the seasoning packet from the risotto mix. I only mix in about 3/4 of the packet to help cut down on sodium.
- Heat to boil. When the mix starts to boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer. Do not cover the saucepan. Cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Take the pan off the hot burner and stir in the manchego cheese.
Voila! Dish is done. Serve on beautiful serving dish, and enjoy!
