A delicious and kid-friendly Baked Cheese & Tomato Risotto recipe, cooked in the oven to make it super easy!
When it comes to comfort food you can’t beat a delicious and warming risotto. There’s nothing better than a big bowl of steaming creamy rice when its cold and wet outside.
But as much as I love risotto it can be a bit of a pain to make. Standing over the stove, constantly adding in stock and stirring is just not feasible most evenings so instead I use my cheat’s recipe to make this delicious baked risotto instead.
My recipe is very basic, using the classic combo of roasted onions, garlic and tomatoes for flavour and then grated cheddar cheese to add creaminess and a slightly sharp taste.
It’s a winner with the kids as it is simple but really delicious and super filling as well.
Once the cherry tomatoes have roasted in the oven, you can either keep them whole when adding the rice and stock, or else gently mash them to break them down.
I prefer to mash them as it releases so much of that delicious flavour and also the kids don’t then complain about whole tomatoes in their food!
I imagine that most Italians would be horrified by a baked risotto recipe but for me it’s much easier to bung it all in the oven rather than slave over a hot stove!
If you like this recipe then maybe you’d also love to try my Baked Butternut Squash Risotto recipe! The perfect comfort food dinner for Autumn!
If you try my baked risotto please do let me know what you think. And tag me in a picture on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #myfussyeater. I love seeing all your pictures of the recipes you and your family have been enjoying.
Baked Cheese & Tomato Risotto
Prep Time: 2 mins- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 37 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Main Meal
Cuisine: Italian
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Pin RecipeDescription
A delicious and kid-friendly Cheese & Tomato Risotto recipe, cooked in the oven to make it super easy!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 250g / 2 & 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 200g / 7oz risotto rice
- 600ml / 2 & 1/2 cups hot vegetable stock
- 75g / 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c / 400f
- Add the olive oil, onions, garlic and tomatoes to a baking dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes the tomatoes will be nicely roasted. You can either leave them whole or else gently mash them to break them down.
- Add the risotto rice and vegetable stock to the dish and return to the oven for 20 minutes, stirring twice. The stock should all be absorbed by now and the rice cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and stir in the grated cheese and chives.
- Serve immediately with some cooked greens or a side salad.
If you liked this recipe you may also like my Leftover Chicken Risotto recipe:
Gnina says
Love this recipe, we add a little chilli to spice it up, yummy, a favourite of the whole family: 6 years to 45!!
Wondering if you have tried any different flavours and whether they worked well as a baked risotto dish?
Thank you 😊
★★★★★
Bianca Carey Spencer says
So pleased you like the recipe Gnina! Yes, there is a Baked Butternut Squash recipe on the blog that you also might like! x
Christine says
Omg thank you Ciara! This was delicious! Made your new curry few days ago and that was delicious too. Kids enjoyed it too 😬
Valerie says
Thank you so much- my idea of a great rainy day, easy, limited washing up and yet still balanced family dinner for our 4YO & 18MO. I’ve tried stove top recipes in the past & honestly you don’t have the time to constantly stir & monitor when you’ve got 2 crazy kids constantly under your feet. The other oven baked risottos seemed to still need to sauté the onions etc in a pan & I love that this found a solution to limit the washing up!
I used your fabulous recipe for basic inspiration, timings and proportions; as we are suffering from lockdown larder limitations. I added some frozen spinach at the end, thyme instead of chives, and swopped the cheddar for a mix of Red Leicester, Boursin & parmesan, and added a little leftover ham too. The Kids absolutely loved it, and us grown ups ended up stealing some for a starter ourselves with a generous addition of black pepper rather than freezing the spare portions for the kids. Oops! Thanks again. Sorry for changing it so much!!
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Lucy says
Absolutely delicious! Great recipe ❤️
★★★★★
Emma says
So easy to prep everything in advance then stick in the oven. I left it 5 more mins and added a little more water but only because I like risotto rice a little softer.
★★★★★
Lauren2791 says
Delicious! I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to this dish really but it’s actually my favourite MFE recipe yet! Didn’t win my fussy eater over unfortunately but was a huge hit with the rest of the family. I’ve also saved a small fortune using your recipes thank you!!
★★★★★
Jessica Fisher says
I’m baking the risotto right now, but it’s already been in for 25 minutes and there’s still tons of broth left! Our oven is always right on with recipes…wondering if this has been a problem for anyone else?
Ciara Attwell says
Was the broth hot or cold when you put it in?
Amanda says
I have the same issue right now. It was added in at room temp
Ciara Attwell says
I’m going to amend the recipe to specify that the stock is hot. Sorry that wasn’t clear. x
Hope says
I added a little bit of chorizo as my 4 year old is obsessed with the stuff and it was so tasty! Really delicious.
★★★★★
Jane says
I make this a lot. So easy and delicious. Sometimes I add some cooked chicken too.
★★★★★
Nicola says
I made this tonight for the first time and it was really delicious! I love how hassle free the recipe is – I’ve been ill with a bad flu this week and haven’t had much energy for cooking, but this was nice and easy – dinners like this are a godsend! Thank you so much for the recipe ????
Ciara Attwell says
So glad you enjoyed it. Get well soon! x
Sarah says
I made this recipe tonight for my 15 month old (and her hungry mum and dad!) It was amazing, definitely a weeknight regular. Thank you so much xx
★★★★★
Mellie33 says
I want to make this. I have a question. What size baking dish did you use?
Kelli says
Hi, if I wanted to make a large batch for a crowd can I double the recipe? (15 people)
Ciara Attwell says
Yes you can make a larger batch. The cooking time might alter a bit but keep an eye on the rice and don’t take it out until its soft!
Sophie says
Can you freeze this?
Ciara Attwell says
Yes you can. Although you may have to add a bit of extra liquid when heating it back up
Jess says
Hi there – What veg would you add to this? Broccoli fo you think?
Ciara Attwell says
I usually serve veggies or salad on the side. But you could add in some chopped frozen veg in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
CASSIE says
Is it possible to just cook this kn thr stivetop on a skillet? I use a skillet for everything.. sounds so yummy! I have a three year old i cant wait to fix this for…… and for me ! Lol Thanks for posting 🙂
CASSIE says
I forgot to check mark the box that would notify me of a reply, so thats why im commenting again here. Lol.
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Cassie, yes it can be cooked on the stovetop. I’m not sure if the amount of stock needed would be exactly the same though.
Dee says
I made it for my granddaughter and she loved so did we all !
Thanks
★★★★★
Amy says
This was delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I used half cheddar and half mascarpone. We all loved it!
Ciara Attwell says
Yum! That sounds delicious!
Lisa says
Hi this sounds delicious. Would it be okay for a 2 year old? Stuck in a rut with chicken & salmon at the moment & she’s gone off veg!! Tried your aubergine pizza recipe tonight ???? your site is great!! Thanks, Lisa.
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Lisa, yes its absolutely suitable for a 2 year old. If you are worried about salt content use a reduced sodium stock! Hope your little one like it!
Ellie says
Yum!!! Absolutely delicious!! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Thank you Ellie, so glad you enjoyed it!