Butternut Oat Risotto

I’ve had an exciting couple of weeks.

No work!

Holiday time with family.

No alarm clocks. Hallelujah.

I went to the movies twice in 2 weeks. This hasn’t happened in, like, 15 years, I think? Les Mis was incredible. I was singing for days after seeing it. And Promised Land was great, with an unexpected twist at the end…and John Krasinski – movie win! Best two movies I could have seen this year, probably.

We’ve had way too many cookies, a ridiculous amount of coffee, and even more fun.

There’s been a lot of Saved By the Bell and Boy Meets World watching during breakfast, afternoon napping, and to tell you the truth, I’m not really sure that I’m ready for the real world again. 

butternut risotto1

So as I slowly get back into the normal, boring, day-to-day routine, I’m looking for easy everything. After so much time off, I feel like I’m having to reset my brain – I want easy books to read, easy movies to watch, and easy meals to make.

And, after all those cookies and stocking candy, it’s time to lighten up again for a little while. I can’t live in pajamas anymore.

butternut risotto3

Purists might get mad at me for calling this a risotto, but it’s the closest thing I can think of. So, no, it’s not a real risotto – there’s no rice in this dish. But you cook it the same way.

Toast the steel cut oats, cook it slowly with lots of broth, let it bubble and simmer until the oats are tender and creamy.

Maybe this won’t make going back to work any better, but it will make dinner time just a little bit easier. And – bonus – you can totally eat dinner in your pajamas! I do it all the time.

butternut risotto2

Butternut Oat Risotto
Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 4-5 cups broth
  • 1/2 a medium butternut squash
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Stir the steel cut oats into the oil and let them toast for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add about 1 cup of broth and let the mixture come to a bubble, stirring frequently. Once the first cup of broth has cooked into the oats, add another 1/2-1 cup of broth, repeating the process until all the broth is used and the oats are cooked and creamy. You can add more water if you need more than the 5 cups of broth.
  4. While the oats are cooking, either roast your 1/2 squash (at 425 for 30-40 minutes) or microwave it until the squash is tender.
  5. Once the oats are softened and creamy, remove the pan from heat and stir in the cooked squash, green onions, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Serve warm.

19 comments

  1. This looks seriously dreamy – I need some!

  2. I love savory oats! I did something similar not to long ago that I decided to call a pilaf- but it was a tough choice between that and risotto! :)

  3. I’m in the same boat as you – two weeks off over Christmas had made me so reluctant to get back into my daily routine. It’s going to take a while before I stop feeling resentful about having to get out of my pyjamas and go to work ;)

    I really like ‘risotto’ (or whatever) with grains – this sounds really tasty!

    Happy new year Brandi : )

  4. I know…getting back into the swing of things is hard..very hard! Loving your risotto!

  5. Love this! I’ve been wanting to try your oatmeal risotto forever. Glad to hear you had such a nice relaxing holiday, well-deserved!

  6. The break has been so nice, but a part of me is happy to get back into routine. I LOVE this recipe, mainly because I love the idea of using oats for risotto! I’ve always known you could do this, but have never attempted. This sounds too easy and incredibly delicious!

  7. Getting back onto a schedule was especially hard for me this year.
    But I LOVE this! Such a fun twist on risotto :)

  8. Oatmeal risotto?? LOVE. This looks super duper tasty!

  9. i’m not into real life again either… so hard! i’ll take pj’s and this risotto, with a little maggie on my lap ;) happy new year!

  10. I think I might also want this fr breakfast. It is hard getting back to the real world especially in January.

  11. I’m so glad you took some time off! :)

    And oh my goodness – I just saw Les Mis this weekend. So incredible!!! I’m so impressed that they undertook a musical of that scope. I already can’t wait to see it again!

    And this risotto looks incredible! I need to make the most out of the butternut season that remains… :)

  12. Yay! Glad you had a wonderful holiday! This risotto looks AH-mazing. I will definitely need to make this and then eat a big bowl while wearing pjs!

  13. I adore using oats and other whole grains in new ways and this totally takes the cake. LOVE everything about this recipe!!

  14. i’ve been singing les mis every waking moment since i’ve seen it…

  15. I am so jealous of your long long break. I was working the day after Christmas! I love this risotto! I make it like once a week and it’s gone within hours!

  16. I had about 2 weeks off as well. We were doing a lot of traveling, but the being able to sleep in every day was my most favorite part of it all!!

    This risotto looks excellent! I love that you used oats!

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