Toss Italian sausage and rice into a slow cooker for a lip-smacking comforting dish

SLOW COOKER SAUSAGE RISOTTO

servings 6
20 MINUTES
2 HOURS 30 MINUTES
2 HOURS, 50 MINUTES

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups arborio or other short-grain rice
½ cup white wine
4½ cups (820 ml) chicken broth or stock
1 cup (75 g) parmesan
2 tablespoons cold butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup half and half (optional)

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Then add garlic, and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon or spatula until well-browned. Add rice and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with white wine and stir until all the little bits on the bottom of the pan are lifted.
Pour sausage mixture into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add in chicken broth. Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours, until rice is tender.
After 2½ hours, add parmesan and 2 tablespoon butter, stirring until cheese and butter are both melted and fully incorporated.
Garnish with extra parmesan and fresh parsley then serve.
Tip: For extra creamy risotto (optional step done in video), mix in 1 cup half and half after you mix in parmesan and butter at the end.
Pro tip: If you don’t feel like making a salad, you can add a bit of green to the risotto by stirring in 5 oz. of fresh baby spinach when you add the parmesan.