One-Pan Lunch: Fall Risotto

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This is a kind of fall risotto made in a single baking dish. I added chicken, broccoli, pumpkin, and shallots to the rice, poured in some broth, and let the oven do most of the work. You can swap out the vegetables depending on what you have at home, and top it all off with cheese at the end. Red bell peppers, corn, or cauliflower are also great additions. Serve with a fresh beet salad, and you’ll have four lunch servings that you can simply reheat the next day.

Finished in 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Difficulty simple

Ingredients

300 g long-grain rice
450 g chicken breasts or boneless thighs
1 shallot
200 g pumpkin
150 g broccoli
700 ml chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of turmeric or 1–2 teaspoons of curry powder
salt and freshly ground pepper
80 g Gouda, grated
30 g Parmesan cheese, grated

Salad to serve with:

100 g mesclun or another mixed leaf salad
150 g pickled beets, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 185 °C. Rinse the rice with cold water and let it drain. Finely chop the shallot, cut the pumpkin into small cubes, and separate the broccoli into florets. Don’t throw away the stem—you can grate it into patties with potatoes, cheese, egg, and spices.
Pour the rice into a baking dish, then add the shallots, vegetables, and chicken. Toss with olive oil, turmeric or curry powder, salt, and pepper. Pour in the broth. The rice should be completely submerged. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.
Bake for about 25 minutes. Then remove the lid from the baking dish so the rice can brown, and toward the end of baking, sprinkle cheese over the top. Return the baking dish to the oven for another 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned. If the rice is still firm, add a little hot broth and let it finish baking.
Meanwhile, toss the mesclun with the sliced beets, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Serve it alongside the baked rice, or add a little salad to each serving just before eating.

Tips and tricks

You can substitute zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, or cauliflower for the pumpkin and broccoli. Add the firmer vegetables right at the beginning, and the more tender ones halfway through baking.
You can use quinoa instead of rice. Rinse it and start checking for tenderness after about 20 minutes of baking; add a little hot broth as needed.
Divide the remaining portions into containers and store them in the refrigerator. The next day, just reheat them thoroughly. If you’re taking the meal with you, always store the salad separately.