Easy Mushroom & Bacon Risotto

Making Risotto is simple with this 30 minute, no-stir recipe for Easy Mushroom & Bacon Risotto. It’s the perfect dish for busy weeknights.

Finally – An Easy Way to Make Risotto Rice

I don’t know about you, but I find making traditional risotto a chore!  All that constant stirring is so much work, but it doesn’t have to be!  With this recipe, you can have a creamy, delectable risotto that doesn’t require standing over the pot hard at work!

If you like more of a challenge my Shrimp and Asparagus Saffron Risotto, is well worth the effort!

This recipe is really delicious!  The smokiness of the bacon in this recipe marries perfectly with the rich mushroom flavor.  Once you try it, you’ll make it time and time again!

What Rice for Making Risotto

In Italy, there are many different varieties of risotto rice, but in other countries like America and Britain, the most commonly found rice for making fantastic risotto is arborio rice.  It absorbs liquid well and contains enough starch to get that creamy consistency.

Adding Rich Mushroom Flavor to Mushroom Risotto

My trick for adding deep mushroom flavor to this dish is using dried mushrooms as well as fresh.  Soaking the dried mushrooms in boiled water not only rehydrates the mushrooms, but it creates a rich mushroom stock that brings this recipe to a whole new level of flavor!

How to Make Easy Mushroom & Bacon Risotto

Soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water for 20 minutes.

Once soaked, remove the mushrooms from the water with a slotted spoon and reserve 2 cups of the liquid.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the bacon to the pan and cook until brown.   Add the onion. Fry over a gentle heat until softened.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the fresh mushrooms.

Fry for another 2-3 minutes, until browned.  Add the soaked mushrooms.

Pour in the vermouth.

Stir in the rice and cook the liquid has been absorbed. 

Add the stock and a 1/2 cup of the liquid the mushrooms soaked in, the parsley and seasoning.  Stir and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 15 -20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and tender.  Add the Parmesan cheese, and butter. Stir to combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: For a creamier consistency, stir the risotto a few times during the cooking and process cover after stirring.

Serve and enjoy!  It’s that simple!

Cook’s Tips:

• For a creamier consistency, stir the risotto a few times during the cooking and process cover after stirring.
• If the risotto appears too dry after cooking, you can add some more of the reserved mushroom liquid to loosen it up (a little at a time until it’s the desired constancy).

FAQs

• Can Mushroom Risotto be re-heated?  Mushrooms can cause you to feel unwell if they are not stored properly.  To reheat Mushroom Risottos, it’s recommended to reheat within 24 hours of cooking.  Be sure to store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Can Mushroom Risotto be frozen?  Yes, to freeze risotto, let the risotto cool completely before placing in the freezer in a freezer-safe, airtight container.  When you want to use it, Defrost the risotto in the fridge overnight before reheating.
• Can you Make Risotto in advance?  You can.  Just follow the instructions above, but in my opinion, it’s best served right after cooking.
• Can Risotto be made without wine? Yes.  This recipe uses dry vermouth in place of wine.  If you want to have no alcohol, just replace the wine with extra stock or alcohol-free wine.

Other Risotto Dishes You’ll Love

• Chicken & Mushroom Risotto
• Easy Salmon and Pea Risotto
• Shrimp and Asparagus Saffron Risotto
• Lemon Shrimp Risotto

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Let's Make Easy Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

A truly easy weeknight dinner, this rice dish is a simple risotto that you'll make again and again.  The best part is - it's ready in just 30 minutes!

5 from 11 votes

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook15 minutes minutes

Total30 minutes minutes

Serves: 6 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ounce dried morel or porcini mushrooms
• ▢ 8 ounces Chopped Bacon
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves chopped or finely sliced
• ▢ 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1½ cups arborio rice
• ▢ ⅔ cup dry vermouth
• ▢ 1½ cups chicken stock hot
• ▢ ½ cup mushroom stock made with the liquid from soaking the mushrooms (plus more if needed)
• ▢ a good handful of fresh parsley chopped
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons salted butter
• ▢ ⅔ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Soak the mushrooms in 2-3 cups of hot water for 20 minutes, then remove the mushrooms from the liquid with a slotted spoon, measure out a ½ cup and reserving the rest (in case you need it later).
• Slice the mushrooms and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the bacon to the pan and cook until brown.
• Add the onion. Fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the mushrooms and fry for another 2-3 minutes, until browned.
• Pour in the vermouth and add the rice cook, until the liquid has been absorbed.
• Add the stock, ½ cup of the liquid you soaked the dried mushrooms in, and the parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  stir and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 15 -20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and tender. 

  Tip: For a creamier consistency, stir the risotto a few times during the cooking and process cover after stirring.
• If the risotto appears too dry, you can add some more of the reserved mushroom liquid to loosen it up (a little at a time until it's the desired constancy).
• Add the Parmesan cheese, and butter. Stir to combine.
• Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 534 (27%)| Carbohydrates: 51g (17%)| Protein: 15g (30%)| Fat: 27g (42%)| Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)| Cholesterol: 46mg (15%)| Sodium: 621mg (27%)| Potassium: 458mg (13%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 2g (2%)| Vitamin A: 270IU (5%)| Vitamin C: 1.8mg (2%)| Calcium: 140mg (14%)| Iron: 2.8mg (16%)

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

Erren's Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Author:Erren Hart

Course:Main

Cuisine:Italian

Keyword:easy risotto recipe, mushroom and bacon risotto, mushroom risotto

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2014, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in February of 2018.