READY IN 50 mins

Beet and Cheddar Risotto

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Read Reviews (16)

"This recipe is sweet and creamy. It uses the entire beet. It's pink color is a bonus. A glass of Chardonnay goes perfectly with this dish." — Chardonnay Queen

Directions

Place the beet and greens in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Bring the water and broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-low heat.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion in the oil until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice; cook and stir another 2 minutes. Mix in the beet and beet green mixture, cooking another minute. Pour in the broth mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding each batch, stirring continually; reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until creamy and thick, about 3 minutes more. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 50 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 18, 2009

I chopped the beet and beet greens for this risotto. I used brown rice because I couldn't find the kind of rice called for. Very colorful and tasty!

—sueb

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 31, 2011

I did enjoy this however it wasn't amazing. The beet flavor was there but I don't know how well the beet and cheese complimented each other. Tasted like it was missing something.

—erika

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16 Ratings

May 11, 2009

This recipe was good, but I wasn't blown away. I made the risotto up to the point of adding the cheese and felt it was the right consistency and the flavor of beets was really coming through. It definitely needed salt to bring out the flavor. I was hesitant to overwhelm the dish with the cheese so only used half. It tasted good, but ended up very cheddary tasting. I'd recommend if you like the beet flavor to add 1/4-1/2 the cheese in the original recipe and add some acid in the form of lemon juice or some green onion at the end. Otherwise, a great idea for risotto. Really like using the whole beet, greens and all.

—beansprite

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Oct 01, 2011

I would give this recipe a 5 except it does require a good bit of prep time cutting and mincing, and ALOT of stirring and standing by the pan. Other than that, excellent and not too difficult to make. Even my kids who are SUPER picky (I mean only mac n cheese or grilled cheese for them) will eat this. It is one of the very few things I can make that everyone will eat. This gets devoured at our house. I use mild cheddar, and don't add salt or pepper - I let everyone do their own salt if desired.

—mlcamilli

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Aug 18, 2011

Excellent with a few modifications: brown rice (so I cooked an hour with 7 cups liquid, simmering one cup at a time), shredded beets/greens, and a touch of butter and lemon juice at the very end. Also, the cheese isn't needed at all, just put a little parmesan on top instead.

—blueshell2

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Jun 15, 2009

only added 1/2 the cheese. was kinda of bland for me, not enough beet flavor. I did, however use white wine instead of water, and i think that helped!

—Amy Z

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May 29, 2011

I took this to a pot-luck of a bunch of vegetable eaters and got a shout out for this dish.

—nitzanderson

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Nov 16, 2009

I liked this very much! I made a batch as directed and one with herb cream cheese and chard. I liked the cream cheese version better but both are lovely. Even my kids liked it!

—Angi

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Nutrition

Calories
354 kcal
18%

Carbohydrates
33 g
11%

Cholesterol
43 mg
14%

Fat
18.2 g
28%

Fiber
1.9 g
7%

Protein
14 g
28%

Sodium
546 mg
22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Beet and Cheddar Risotto

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 354
Calories from Fat: 164

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18.2g 28 %
Saturated Fat 9.2g 46 %
Cholesterol 43mg 14 %
Sodium 546mg 22 %
** Potassium 210mg 6 %
Total Carbohydrates 33g 11 %
Dietary Fiber 1.9g 7 %
Protein 14g 28 %
Sugars 3g
** Vitamin A 31 %
** Vitamin C 10 %
** Calcium 42 %
** Iron 12 %
** Thiamin 4 %
** Niacin 19 %
** Vitamin B6 5 %
** Magnesium 9 %
** Folate 15 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.