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.
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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 aswell.
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 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
Category: Main Meal
Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe
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:
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?
Was the broth hot or cold when you put it in?
I have the same issue right now. It was added in at room temp
I’m going to amend the recipe to specify that the stock is hot. Sorry that wasn’t clear. x
I added a little bit of chorizo as my 4 year old is obsessed with the stuff and it was so tasty! Really delicious.
★★★★★
I make this a lot. So easy and delicious. Sometimes I add some cooked chicken too.
★★★★★
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 ????
So glad you enjoyed it. Get well soon! x
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
★★★★★
I want to make this. I have a question. What size baking dish did you use?
Hi, if I wanted to make a large batch for a crowd can I double the recipe? (15 people)
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!
Can you freeze this?
Yes you can. Although you may have to add a bit of extra liquid when heating it back up
Hi there – What veg would you add to this? Broccoli fo you think?
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.
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 🙂
I forgot to check mark the box that would notify me of a reply, so thats why im commenting again here. Lol.
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.
I made it for my granddaughter and she loved so did we all !
Thanks
★★★★★
This was delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I used half cheddar and half mascarpone. We all loved it!
Yum! That sounds delicious!
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.
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!
Yum!!! Absolutely delicious!! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you Ellie, so glad you enjoyed it!