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This sweet potato risotto is loaded with, you guessed it - sweet potatoes, but also gets added flavor from goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, brown butter and some bacon. There really isn't a cozy fall dish much better than this.
Lauren and I have a soft spot for sweet potatoes - from mashed sweet potatoes to sweet potato fajitas. It's just such a versatile ingredient when it comes to cooking. You can use it in tacos, pastas, side dishes or even risotto.
I've mentioned in the past posts that risotto is one of my favorite dishes so I'm always on the lookout for inspiration on a new risotto and today is all about this sweet potato risotto which might be the best risotto recipe I've made to date.
Inspired by How Sweet Eats, this sweet potato risotto is obviously loaded with sweet potatoes but gets some creaminess from goat cheese and if that isn't enough, is topped with crumbled bacon.
To me this really is fall comfort food. What makes this specific recipe so great is you can substitute the sweet potato with butternut squash or pumpkin if you want a different flavor.
For those that have never made risotto, it really is much easier than those cooking shows make it out to be! You've got to remember cooking shows are typically under time constraints.
While this might take a little longer than a typical weeknight meal, it's worth it! So if you're like me and love sweet potatoes and risotto, give this sweet potato risotto a try.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Sweet potato - the star of the show.
- Paprika, chili powder, nutmeg, salt, black pepper - enhances the flavor.
- Olive oil and unsalted butter - adds flavor and cooks the shallot.
- Shallot– have a mild-onion taste, but you can also use onion.
- Garlic – enhances the risotto.
- Sage – adds freshness.
- Arborio rice - has just the right amount of starch for risotto.
- Dry white wine - use a quality dry wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Chicken stock - low-sodium stock soaks up the rice.
- Goat cheese - adds creaminess.
- Parmesan cheese - adds a nutty, salty flavor.
- Bacon - adds flavor and texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl combine chopped sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Spread on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Remove and mash until pureed. Set aside.
- To cook the bacon, either cook in skillet or place on parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes in oven at 400°F. Remove, let cool and crumble.
- In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter and oil and cook for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the saucepan with white wine, and simmer over low heat until almost all of the wine has been absorbed.
- Add ½ cup warm chicken stock and simmer until the stock has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the stock ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the stock to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes.
- While cooking risotto, heat small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoon butter and cook until browned and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoon sage and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
- At this point, risotto should be creamy but have a slight bite to it.
- Stir in 1 cup of the sweet potato puree, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and brown butter. Serve topped with some chopped sage, extra Parmesan cheese and bacon.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are super popular these days and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:
- Great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Promotes gut health.
- Regulates blood pressure and sugar levels.
- Helps with keeping healthy vision.
- May improve brain function.
FAQs
Use only Italian short-grain rice varieties such as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo. In the US, Arobrio rice is the most common you'll find. Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb less liquid which is perfect for risotto.
No! If you rinse the rise, you rinse the starch off which is key to creating a quality risotto.
Risotto is traditionally made with Arborio rice which has high rice gluten content, but it's not the same thing as the gluten that would bother you.
Because of this, 95% of the time you are safe to consume risotto if you have a gluten allergy. Where the 5% comes into play is if the broth/stock you use has traces of gluten in it. So just read the ingredients of your stock before using.
Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, it will foam up and then subside. This is when you watch carefully as lightly browned specks will start to form at the bottom of the pan.
You will know the butter is ready when there is a nutty aroma.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your risotto with take forever.
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the sweet potato, brown butter and cheese.
Other Risotto Recipes
- Goat Cheese Risotto
- Pesto Risotto with Asparagus and Chicken
- Spring Risotto
- Risotto al Forno
- Pear Risotto
- Chicken and Leek Risotto
If you’ve tried this sweet potato risotto or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Sweet Potato Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (1 lb), peeled and chopped into ½" cubes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 oz goat cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 tablespoon sage, chopped and divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl combine chopped sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove and mash until pureed. Set aside.
- To cook the bacon, either cook in skillet or place on parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes in oven at 400°F. Remove, let cool and crumble.
- In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter and oil and cook for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the saucepan with white wine, and simmer over low heat until almost all of the wine has been absorbed. Add ½ cup warm chicken stock and simmer until the stock has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the stock ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the stock to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes.
- While cooking risotto, heat small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoon butter and cook until browned and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon sage and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Stir in 1 cup of the sweet potato puree, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and brown butter. Serve topped with some chopped sage, extra Parmesan cheese and bacon.
Notes
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your risotto with take forever.
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the sweet potato, brown butter and cheese.
Chris says
Wow that looks delicious!