Beer and Cheddar Risotto

I’m always game for risotto, and this one was a great dish for our “beer” themed tailgate. Creamy, cheesy, and rich in flavor—this was wonderful! If you want a vegetarian version, just substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Source: Beer and Cheddar Risotto, Cooking This and That

Ingredients

½ small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups Arborio rice

12-ounce bottle of beer (preferably not light beer)
6 cups chicken broth

5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

⅓ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Pour chicken broth into medium saucepan. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat just until butter is melted. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add rice and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until opaque, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice.

Pour in beer, turn heat up to high until it starts to simmer.

Turn heat back to medium-low and add the chicken broth ½ cup at a time, stirring until liquid dissolves. You may not need to use all of the chicken broth—risotto should be creamy and just slightly al dente. This should take 30 minutes or more.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and cayenne pepper.