Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto.
I think I officially turned into a grown up last night.
And not because I made risotto. Because I hung a picture on the wall all by myself. Err… well, I tried to hang a picture on the wall all by myself.
At this point I’m still waiting for it to come crashing down on top of my head. It’s going to happen. I know it’s coming any… second… now.
Boom.
Anyway, I definitely did this the wrong way. Like you’re even surprised. I was sort of just “moving” a picture if that’s what you want to call it… so I didn’t need a drill or anything. Actually I probably could have used a drill, but I couldn’t find one and could have easily overlooked it because, well… when your mind is clouded with shoes, chocolate and glitter all day, a drill is not something you simply pick out in a crowded room. Plus, I don’t trust myself around a drill because when I hold a drill, I envision horrible things like how I get that weird feeling when doing dishes and want to stick my entire hand in the garbage disposal. I think I need medicated.
Instead, I pulled the screws (nails?) out of the wall and then moved them where I wanted them to go – without, uh, leveling or measuring anything – and then gently pounded them with a hammer because I saw way too many cheesy 90s sitcoms about smashing your thumb with a hammer when you go full force. And well. I just wasn’t having that.
I had to do this about 30 times before getting it right.
Coincidentally, there are now about 30 holes in my wall. At least they match my new age.
Though I don’t know if I feel like I’m 13, 30 or whatever number “clueless” stands for. But I do know that I felt very productive and patient that I made risotto without throwing a tantrum. And then, to hang a picture?! In, like, the same day? What? I was just Miss Patience yesterday. Please give me a sash and a tiara. Now.
In other news, I get this weird risotto craving in December.
I don’t know. Something about December just makes me want it. Last year around this time I made some red wine goat cheese risotto (how that was an entire year ago, I do not know) and it’s just about my favorite thing ever. (Along with everything else.) I know I’m cut from a weird cloth where I don’t find egg poaching and risotto making to be that challenging, but you should seriously see me try to dice an onion. Um. I almost lose my entire hand every single day. Or evenly toast toast. Yeah. How do you mess that up?
Or hang a picture on the wall.
Okay, I’m done.
Oh except that for some reason I am thoroughly obsessed with serving this with a perfectly seared filet. Truly, it’s all I can think about. This risotto is made with white wine, sweet potatoes, brown butter, parmesan, bacon and a ton of herbs. Doesn’t that just scream “give me a freaking steak!?”
I thought so too.
Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 1/3 cups dry white wine
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons brown butter
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs: sage, parsley + rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine chopped sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and smoked paprika, tossing well to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, tossing every 8-10 minutes. Remove and mash until pureed (or you could use a blender or food processor – I just used a potato masher), then set aside.
- [Note: while the potatoes are roasting you can do other things, like cook the bacon or chop the fresh herbs to get it out of the way.]
- Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add chicken or vegetable stock. Heat until hot. If it begins to boil, turn down so it is no longer boiling.
- Heat a larger saucepan or even a dutch oven over medium heat. Add in remaining olive oil and butter (not the brown butter), then add shallots with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft, then add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Increase heat slightly and add rice, stirring to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring 2-3 times until the rice is translucent and begins to toast. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in wine. Continue to stir as the rice absorbs the wine. When most of it is absorbed, add in about 1/3 of the warm chicken/vegetable stock. Repeat the process, continuously stirring until the stock is absorbed, then add another 1/3. Repeat until all of the stock is used and absorbed and the rice is cooked, making sure to take a spoonful and taste test. The whole process will take about 20-25 minutes. If the rice is still too chewy and dense, heat a bit more liquid and add it again, stirring. The rule I go by is to add enough liquid just to cover the very top of the risotto.
- Once the rice is cooked to your liking, reduce heat to low and stir in about 3/4 cup the sweet potato puree. Take a few minutes and really stir so it is well-absorbed. Stir in parmesan cheese and brown butter, mixing to combine. Taste and season additionally if desired, but remember that you are going to add bacon on top!
- To serve, place the risotto in a bowl and top with some additional cheese, a sprinkling of herbs, the crumbled bacon and then more herbs and cheese if desired. Serve immediately!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
This also might = Christmas Eve dinner menu. If so, I’m coming to your house.
198 Comments on “Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto.”
Ha! Congrats on hanging your first picture! The risotto looks amazing, Jessica! As usual, your photos are stunning!
thanks Kim!!
I hate hanging pictures! Every-time I do, I stand back and they are cricked! I end up with about 30 holes, and worse off I have an angry Husband who tells me, the picture is not in a stud, it’s going to fall, plus you put 30 holes in the walls I painted!! Eck!!! Now i wait for him!
Your risotto looks amazing! Risotto is one of those foods on my bucket list! I have to make it and I love sweet potato!!
Something inside of me could have guessed this contained brown butter. Thanks for your predictability!
No words….except YUM. I’m in love!
I have never hung a picture by myself, unless you count the torn out magazine pictures of River Phoenix that I had taped to the back of my door when I was a teenager. ;) That is Tony’s job around here and when we hang stuff, it is an ordeal. I dread it!
That risotto looks amazing. I happen to love the calm relaxing stirring while making risotto. I haven’t done it in awhile, but I need to since it’s one of the boys’ favorites. This one would knock their socks off!
I don’t know how you do it…every. single. day. This looks awesome!!
I love making risotto. I call it grown up comfort food – its the mature version of mac n cheese. I’m sure someone wants to set me ablaze for saying that. Whatevs. I made that same statement to the kitchen staff of Sonoma Grill while out drinking one night and they totally agreed…could have been the alcohol tho ;)
My go to is a butternut squash version but I’m feeling the sweet potato.
set you ablaze… that terminology made me giggle. as long as there is enough cheese, i can agree!
Ok I almost cried when I read the first sentence. My first thought is who am I going to now use to show the hubs that I in fact have the appropriate maturity level for a woman in her 30s? I’m all next she’s going to have kids and then he’s going to think it’s strange I don’t go out into the real world and work. He will be wanting me to have kids too, which made me think that if this all happened we can no longer be BFF’s. We’ve been in this house 18 months and have hung exactly three pictures. The first one resulted in a horrible fight because the hubs is a notorious “low picture hanger”. One of those things where your mind knows the picture needs to go up an inch every single time you come into the room. I have another five pictures just sitting around waiting to be magically hung….I might hire someone.
hahaha you ARE my twin.
Swap out that bacon for some caramelized brussel sprouts and now you’re talking! ;) Love sweet potato risotto (veggie style)!
Well, if I didn’t know what to do with the TONS of sweet potatoes in my pantry, I now know one thing. This risotto looks divine, and I cannot wait to give it a shot! My only wish is that I had seen this a few days ago when I made my usual white wine/onion/zucchini risotto. C’est la vie!
You know what… you may have just given me the most brilliant idea for Christmas dinner. You are fabulous!
I adore risotto, but am afraid to make it! I need to have this though so I may need to get over my fear and make it!
WOW! I love rissotto…even with its annoying neediness. I can’t even imagine how delicious this is.
This looks dreamy! YUM, Jessica!
And I was just thinking what am I going to do with all these sweet potatoes. Well done.
I just found your site and I love it!! In this post I think it is hilarious how you talk about the garbage disposal… I get similar feelings when driving on skinny roads with large dropoffs down the side… for some reason I always feel like something is pulling me over the edge. I thought I was the only one who thought the worst possible thing that could happen for everyday tasks haha.
yes yes yes.
That looks awesome…I will definitely make this.
November 30
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Peanutbutter blossoms…check
November 30
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Peanutbutter blossoms…check
Looks awesome…will definitely try this one:)
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I’m dying. This is like my dream come true. How do you think of these recipes?!
That second to last photo is gorgeous! You have no idea how perfect the timing of this recipe is. I easily have 10lbs of sweet potatoes that need using!
thanks girl!
YUMMY!!! This actually is at the top of the list for Christmas Eve dinner. It looks amazing.
No worries! I’ll show you how to dice an onion if you ship me some of this risotto (heehee)
But seriously though, I think I may have just said “oh my god what is THAT” way too loud at work to be considered normal. That’s what this risotto did to me.
I swear I’m not laughing about the picture hanging thing…….I need to make more risotto!!
Brown butter makes everything tasty!
Another masterpiece and I’m sure the picture doesn’t do it justice. They do make me want to dive right in to the bowl though.
As long as when you finally hung your picture that it covered the 30 nail holes, you should be fine.
Enjoy your day, my dear!
thanks lynne! hope you had a good one!
“how I get that weird feeling when doing dishes and want to stick my entire hand in the garbage disposal. I think I need medicated.” – I get that feeling too and thought I needed to get myself some help. At least we aren’t alone?
thank god.
I tried to hang out stockings last night (well, I DID hang them on the 50th try) and now we have 50 holes in our mantel. Meeker came home and was…uh, less than thrilled. Maybe I should make him some risotto and all will be well.
Yum. I want this. I love sweet potatoes.
Absolutely making this ASAP. Sounds incredible!
Maybe you should trade your risotto making lessons for picture hanging lessons. I think you’d lose out in the end because good risotto is so much more important than a picture that hangs straight. I mean, puhhhleeez. Gorgeousness. My husband is going to flip out over this one.
I have only ever made risotto once and I used red wine instead of white. The result was like a grey-purplish mush that tasted amazing, but looked like something you might find in a litter box. So, who cares if you can’t hang pictures! At least your risotto looks amazing!
You are a step ahead of me Jessica! My mom came to town last weekend and I may have had 3 pictures sitting around my apartment that were waiting for her to come to help me put up… maybe one day I’ll actually become an adult? :-)
Um, I get the same disturbing urges. Like, how many times do I imagine putting my hand in the food processor? I’m like a frickin’ Garbage Pail Kid.
Also, feed me?
anything for you.
The creaminess factor of the risotto, paired with sweet potatoes, oh this is comfort food in a bowl – love it!
I’m totally dying over here! I mean brown butter, sweet potatoes and bacon all in one lovely bowl of risotto… this is simply amazing!
This risotto looks amazing!!
I’ve made a similar risotto using butternut squash. I love the idea of sweet potatoes though! Your blog rocks. How do you cook like this every day? Your my hero!
omg omg omg. i want a huge heaping bowl of this right now! this is STUNNING!
i have never attempted risotto before bc i was too intimidated, but i just may have to try this one!
I’m turning 30 in a month – it’s freaking me out! I love risotto – this looks fantastic. Also, my hubby banned me from hammering holes in the wall in our new house haha
don’t freak out. it’s not THAT bad. ….. yet.
risotto can be IMPOSSIBLE to get just right, but once you do it is pure magic!
this recipe reminds me of a Butternut Squash, Zucchini, & Goat Cheese Risotto I made last year (are you drooling yet? lol) – had to remake it twice, but once I got it right it was bangin’!!!
now that Jason is around, we actually have things like hammers (he brought them with him…)
when I lived alone, nails would be driven into walls with the chunky heel of a shoe. and then never removed.
sticking my hand in the garbage disposal or blender. swerving my steering wheel All The Way to the side in traffic. walking through the crystal department with a puffy coat. I have issues.
risotto is so soothing…
you are so my soul sister.
Jessica– I love your blog, I love your writing, I love your red wine and goat cheese risotto, and everything else you make, so I know I will love this risotto as well.
Had to send you this, although you’ve surely seen it already…
http://www.refinery29.com/girls-deleted-scene?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=girls
(Deleted scene from Season 1 of GIRLS!!!!!!! OMGGGGGG. Can’t wait!!)
thank you so much meaghan! that means the world to me. and yes… love it. :)
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oh my goodness, sweet potato and risotto are two of favorite things, I cannot wait to try this!
This sounds so perfect for fall! The flavor profile is off the chaaaaain. Plus, it’s not too bad on the healthiness scale! (Huh? What butter?)
This would so make my night if I could eat it!! Need to stop at a store!!
I am dying from the fact that you confuse nails and screws. You are my hero. And I love this risotto! It looks so amazing, plus anything with bacon and brown butter has my name written ALL over it.
Please don’t stick your hand in the garbage disposal. I need you to keep taking pictures that make me drool!
I seriously had to sit here and try to figure out what the different between nails and screws was after you said that.
Made this today. Delicious!!!!
be brave when working with tools! And measure! “Measure twice, cut once” Same goes for wacking a nail into a wall
Ohmygod this looks amazing. I’ve never tried risotto, but I’m instantly drawn to any menu item at any restaurant that contains risotto, so maybe I need to get off my fearful backside and give it a shot. And with bacon, brown butter and sweet potato? Heavens yes please.