Chicken and Leek Baked Risotto

This chicken and leek baked risotto recipe has literally been one of my kiddo’s favourites since I started making when my eldest was around 8 months old. Which means I have now been making it for going on 3.5 yrs and it is still going strong. The recipe is very very flexible so please do not feel that you need to stick with chicken and leek.  In the notes section, I have included some other combination ideas.

Butternut pumpkin is always a fav with young kiddos, I assume it is the sweetness, as such I have an entire recipe for baked risotto made with butternut pumpkin.

stock for baked risotto

Commercial chicken stock is fairly high in salt/sodium. I usually make my own, which I promise is very easy. Whenever we have a chicken dish cooked on the bone: i.e. a roast or drumsticks. I pop the leftover bones in a pot. Add a very roughly chopped onion and carrot and then boil for around 30 minutes  I’m not trying to make restaurant quality stock, so once boiled, I just remove the bones and vege by pouring it through a colander and store in the fridge for a day or so or freeze it for later use. I do use commercial stocks some times as well… I typically water them down a bit just to reduce the salt content. I always choose low salt stocks if I am buying them

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Chicken and Leek Baked Risotto

Prep 8 mins

Cook 25 mins

Total 33 mins

Author Stacey Kemeys

Yield 4-6 serves

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 150g Leek 
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 250g Arborio rice (approx. 1 Cup)
• Thyme 
• 750 ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 300g skinless chicken breast or thigh
• 130g frozen peas

Instructions

1. Use a large oven proof dish that has a lid. Start by heating the oil on the stove top
2. Heat the stock (this can be done on the stove top or in the microwave)
3. Add finely sliced leek and garlic sauté until softened and fragrant
4. Add the arborio rice with 1 -2 10 cm stalks of fresh thyme, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so that the rice does not catch
5. Add the heated stock 
6. thinly slice the chicken and add to the rice and stock
7. Bring to the boil
8. Cover with a lid and bake in an oven at 180 degrees celsius or 350 Fahrenheit for 20 mins
9. Stir in frozen peas
10. Return to the oven for 5 mins
11. Serve

Notes

• You can add parmesan cheese to this dish, add 50 g when you add the frozen peas
• Other vegetables that work well
  • Grated courgette/zucchini
  • Sliced mushrooms
  • Cubed roasted pumpkin
  • If your veggie bin is looking particularly empty just increase the amount of frozen peas
• You can add bacon, add 1-2 rashers cooking it off with the leeks before you add the rice.  
• Instead of fresh chicken, leftover roast chicken works well, or prawns/shrimp
• I find freezing it in silicone muffin trays makes a great toddler portion, particularly if it is a side dish to grilled meat.

Courses Light meal