Hello Monday!
Yah, I know it’s hard to be enthusiastic about Monday but on the bright side, I had my Monday dinner sorted with leftover ready for packed lunch tomorrow. Talk about efficient meal planning over here in Fuss Free Cooking HQ huh?
Making risotto is something I would reserve to do on a Friday or Saturday night when I have all the time in the world to stand by the stove tempering the Arborio rice in hot broth. When I was time starved, baked risotto seemed to be an acceptable compromise, contrary to what a purist would say.
I have come across a baked chicken and corn risotto recipe from an old clipping of Woman’s Day magazine on “Feed 4 for $10 or Less” article. Although I don’t consider myself as a budget home cook, it is a major achievement to be able to prepare a meal for no more than $2.50 per serving. After all $2.50 can hardly buy you anything nowadays. This is one of the many beauties of home cooking. 
The original recipe calls for 400g chicken thigh fillets which I have substituted with half of store-bought roast chicken. I know, I know, I was looking for more shortcuts in a shortcut risotto. But you can’t fault me for trying right? However, if you decide to use chicken thigh fillets, make sure you cut them in cubes and brown them first.
In case you wonder how baked risotto differs from the traditional way of making risotto, the former was less creamy than the latter. The stirring motion helped to loosen the starch molecules from the grains. In the absence of the stirring motion, baked risotto was less creamy. Additionally, this recipe was a dairy free version with the exception of parmesan being added just before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ½ store-bought roast chicken, shredded
- 420g can creamed corn
- Chopped parsley and/or baby spinach
- Grated/shaved parmesan
- Pepper to taste
- Equipment: 10 cups (2.5 litres) oven proof dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- In a pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, add onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Add Arborio rice and chicken and sauté until the grains appeared to be slightly translucent.
- Transfer the rice mixture to an oven proof dish. Stir in stock. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Remove the lid and stir in creamed corn. Set aside, covered, for 5 minutes.
- To serve, top with parmesan, chopped parsley or baby spinach and pepper to taste.
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that looks incredible, i really need to work on prepping lunches ahead of time!
LOVE this! I am crazy for risotto. Can’t wait to give this a try. Pinned!
HI Emily! I’ve made this a few times now whenever I buy a BBQ chicken from the supermarket (always better when they discount it towards the end of the day!). I always split the bird into two to use over two days or two recipes and this baked risotto has been by far the best use of half a chicken! The first time I made it I left out the cheese and my partner could not believe it had none as it was already creamy, so I have been making this without the cheese added and those I have shared this dish with since have not guessed it at all. Thank you so much for the recipe! ps. your new site layout is beautiful, it has made it more enjoyable to visit since the upgrade!
Hello Mel,
You know the trick too on buying the roast chook towards the of the day ha! I am happy to hear that you enjoy the risotto and thank you so much for sparing the time to write such wonderful feedback.
xEmily