Crispy Brussels Sprout and Creamy Parmesan Risotto
This creamy Parmesan Risotto is filled with white wine, fresh garlic, and cheese, then topped with crispy, pan-seared Brussels Sprouts! An ultra comforting Winter dish!
It is official. Winter is here. We had a very mild November and December, but January has been cold and icky. But I live in the South, and in case you aren’t familiar how the South operates during Winter, I’ll explain-simply put, we don’t.
Humidity we can do. Unbearably hot weather, you’ve got it. But cold weather? Not so much. Even the threat of snow or ice sends us into a frenzy.
We have to RUSH to the grocery and buy all the bread and milk. All of it. Undoubtedly, gallons of milk and loaves of bread are going to fly off the shelves. Schools are closed, businesses shut down. We hunker down in our houses, wear seven layers and drink hot cocoa by the gallon. And that is just with the threat of snow or ice.
Simply put, I cannot fathom how people who live in other colder areas handle the winter. I can’t imagine having to go to school or work in a snow storm because I never have! We just don’t do cold.
This Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Creamy Parmesan Risotto is winter comfort food at it’s finest! However, there is something we do well down here: comfort food. We can hang in there with the best of them with comfort food!
Ingredients for Creamy Parmesan Risotto:
As always, here is quick rundown of ingredients you will need for Parmesan Risotto with Brussels Sprouts. For the complete recipe, just keep scrolling.
For the Brussels Sprouts:
- Olive oil- any kind you have should be fine
- Brussels Sprouts- halved
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Parmesan Risotto:
- Olive oil- you can also use butter
- Garlic- minced
- Onion- chopped
- Arborio rice- uncooked
- White wine- any kind you have will work
- Chicken stock- if you only have broth, that’s fine, it just may need more time to thicken
- Parmesan- a grated block of cheese will work best here
- Salt and pepper to taste
How do I make Parmesan Risotto?
Risotto can be intimidating, but it’s worth the extra time and steps! This risotto is kept simple with rich flavors like fresh garlic, good quality chicken stock, white wine and Parmesan.
First you’ll want to sauté your garlic, onion, and rice, allowing the rice to lightly brown. This adds a great depth of flavor, and you don’t want to skip this step!
Next, you’ll add the wine and stir until the rice almost completely soaks it up. Then you’ll add hot broth (not water–we want flavor!) one cup and a time, stirring constantly. Allow each cup to completely absorb into the rice before adding the next cup.
When all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, you have a beautiful risotto–You just need to add more flavors! This is when we add the parmesan, salt, and pepper, then we top with beautifully crispy Brussels sprouts!
How do I make crispy Brussels sprouts?
We don’t want to cook the Brussels sprouts to death–We just want them nice and crispy to add more texture to our risotto. For this, we’ll use a large, deep skillet. For this dish, I firstly pan seared halved Brussels Sprouts until they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and lightly seasoned them with salt and pepper.
Why do you sauté rice for Risotto?
The process of sautéing allows the Arborio rice to lightly brown and brings out this delicious, almost nutty flavor. By adding this extra step, you add such a great depth to your dish. For my Risotto, you slowly add warm broth to create an ultra creamy dish.
If you aren’t familiar with Risotto, it is a wonderfully creamy Italian dish that is made with Arborio rice. This is different from other rice dishes because you sauté your rice in olive oil or butter first!
More Comfort Food Recipes
This creamy dish is an excellent comfort food, but you can never have too many comforting recipes! Check out some of my other recommendations:
- One Pan Cheesy Pasta
- Chipotle Gouda and Jalapeño Twice Baked Potatoes
- Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
- Easy Sicilian Chicken Soup
- Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole
Get the Recipe: Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Creamy Parmesan Risotto
Ingredients
For the Brussels Sprouts
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups Brussels Sprouts, halved
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the Risotto
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, or butter, coconut oil, etc.
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 4-5 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Brussels Sprouts:
- Heat a large deep skillet to medium heat.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the Brussels Sprouts, halved side down.
- Allow the sprouts to brown before turning, cook for 2-3 minutes until browned and tender.
- Remove from skillet and season with salt and pepper, set aside.
For the Parmesan Risotto:
- Pour the chicken stock into a sauce pan and heat until just barely simmering. You want the stock to be nice and hot.
- Heat the large skillet and add the olive oil, garlic and onion. Sauté for about one minute. Add the rice and allow it to lightly brown.
- Add the wine and stir until all the wine is nearly absorbed.
- Pour the hot broth in one cup at a time and stir continuously. Allow the broth to become completely absorbed before you add more liquid.
- When you have used all of the broth and the rice is tender, add the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Add the Brussels Sprouts back into the rice and garnish with additional Parmesan if desired.
You had me at risotto! It’s one of my favorite dishes, especially when using Village Harvest rice! This looks like the perfect bowl of comfort food!
Mine too Gayle! I just love how hearty and creamy it is!
Haha! It’s kinda the opposite with me, because I couldn’t imagine a winter without all the cold, snow, and ice! And I certainly wouldn’t be able to survive through it without ALL the comfort food, such as risotto! This seriously looks SO good with those crispy brussels sprouts on top!
Isn’t that funny? I would probably just die in a winter like you are used to!! haha!
This looks absolutely unreal! Love the creaminess of the risotto and the nutty brussels sprouts- perfect snow day eats 🙂 Pinning!
Thank you Medha!!
Love this risotto Annie! It looks absolutely delicious – I’m a huge fan of brussels and parmesan. I want this for dinner!
Thanks Rachel! Me too!
Ohhh!! If it wasn’t snowmageddon out there I’d be on my way to pick up that arborio rice right now! Risotto is one of those favorite dishes I don’t make nearly enough. I’ve been craving brussels so badly lately but my two closest grocery stores have weirdly both been out the last few times I’ve gone. Once I gather my ingredients this is so happening!
You will love this!!! It is so good! My husband can never remember the word “risotto” so he calls it boozy rice. “can we have boozy rice tonight?” lol!!
Village Harvest products are the best, and this risotto looks delicious! What a great idea topping it with those roasted brussels sprouts (and I love those bowls!).
They are definitely a high quality product, I just love them! Thanks Marcie! And the bowls are Sur La Table! 🙂
Living in Southern California my whole life, we don’t “do” even the threat of snow or ice! A sprinkle of rain or touch of humidity and everyone loses it. Hope your winter warms up a bit! In the meantime this risotto is the perfect way to warm up and stay healthy with those perfectly cooked brussels sprouts, love it!
Thanks Senika! 🙂
I love brussel sprouts but never tried them with risotto!! Looks so delicious!!
Thanks Ami! I love the combo of the creamy risotto and the crispy sprouts!
Having just moved from the south, I can say with certainty that “oh-our-city-only-has-two-snowplows” is so much better than, “welp, the streets are clean, off to work with ya.” I miss winter in the south, even when it gets bad.
Being a huge brussels sprouts girl, I can say that this is my very definition of comfort food. Soft, browned sprouts over cheesy carbs….yes ma’am!
Lol! Yes, you nailed it! haha! We just don’t know what to do with ourselves in the snow! 🙂 Thanks Annie!
I am the total opposite! I can handle the cold, but I melt into a useless puddle in the heat/humidity 😀 LOVE the looks of this risotto…can you believe I’ve never made risotto before?!
Living in California has made me so spoiled. I really don’t do cold! We go to Tahoe, and it will be 24 degrees, and I’ll think, “Nope, too cold to go outside!” This risotto looks delicious! Just love brussels sprouts. Mmm!
Haha I think I’ve gotten used to living in cold weather and comfort food like this are what keep me going 🙂 Love this risotto, Annie! It looks delicious and those brussels sprouts are calling my name!
I love brussels sprouts! And this risotto sounds perfect with them.
Haha! And see, all I know is coooold winters. This winter is actually SO mild and beautiful for us, but you’d probably still find it super cold! I actually love the snow and coziness though — from inside of course! This looks perfect for a chilly day!
Haha we are the exact same way where I live when it snows. Is it bad that I’m heading into my late 20’s and never tried a brussels sprout? This dish is making me want to give them a try, it looks soooo good!
This risotto looks SO good!! I fell in love with risotto on my honeymoon and I could really go for this right now. The creaminess alone would win me over!