Easy Parmesan Slow Cooker Risotto

Crockpot Risotto

I had this dish for the first time at a restaurant in Downtown Disney many years back. It likely was not made in a slow cooker but nevertheless it was amazing. Like I couldn’t believe it took me into my thirties to finally try it. First I made, of course, Instant Pot risotto which was amazing. It was time for this now.

Oh how my life changed after I made this for the first time. Made on the stovetop is excellent, but takes quite a bit of paying attention to. If you have been following me for quite some time now you know that I am all about quick prep times and easy easy easy. You’ve gotta’ try it this way like now.

FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. If you just want to serve a few appetizers you should get this one that sit side by side one another.
3. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

Slow Cooker Risotto Vegetarian

Like I said, beyond just the basic recipe you can add all sorts of add ins. I will say that parmesan cheese is amazing, and a must for all of them. If you need dairy free risotto (like my husband, makes me cry) you might need to leave that out and find a butter alternative.

I will say that there is a plant based butter by Country Crock which is great, and Daya makes dairy free cheese too that is pretty darn good as far as that goes.

If you are looking for a vegetarian version that would be easy. I didn’t include meat of any kind this time so there’s that, and you could substitute the chicken broth for vegetable. Easy peasy right? There are many variations. Roasted asparagus is fantastic but if it isn’t in season, broccoli florets works great too.

If you typically just make white rice with dinner, and just kinda’ stopped there, you have to give this a whirl this week. Your family is in for a real treat. 😉

Slow Cooker Parmesan Risotto

We have the ingredients needed and instructions below. You can print out as well and keep it handy or come back again and again to follow.

• Olive oil
• An onion diced
• Minced garlic
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• Chicken stock, can use vegetable or beef or 3/4 cup white wine and the rest broth
• Salt and pepper
• Butter
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Asparagus cut into 1″ pieces, optional of course
• Lemon zest and juiced is a nice touch but not a must

I would use some non stick spray inside so it serves up nicely and cleans up quicker too.

Slow Cooker Risotto Mushroom

Another idea for adding veggies would be to slice baby bella mushrooms. Those will stay firmer than button which will break down more and cook faster.

• Spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray. In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, then add rice risotto into the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes, stir often to avoid burning. Add the wine or 3/4 cup of broth into the skillet and stir, cooking until almost completely absorbed.
• Pour the rice into the Crock pot. Heat the rest of your broth in the microwave, pour that in. If you want to add lemon juice and lemon zest add that + salt and black pepper.
• Cover and cook on high for 90 minutes cooking time. Remove the lid and gently fold in the asparagus if you want to add that.
• Continue cooking until rice is tender, for an additional 20 minutes to 30 min.

This should have a creamy texture when done correctly. Pure comfort food if you love risotto.

Can you store and reheat leftover risotto

You can always save leftovers of any kind, it is just going to be a different texture when you heat it back up again. You’ll need to let it cool down and then transfer what is left into a sealable container. Suck all the air out. It will need to be eaten within 48 hours.

When you reheat, transfer into a microwave safe bowl. Break it up into smaller pieces and spoon 1 tbsp of broth over the top.

Heat for 30 seconds, stir a bit, and heat again for another 30 seconds until warmed. You can add some more parmesan to the top before the last 30 sec. interval to melt.