What Do You Do With A Problem Like Risotto?

November 3, 2011 7:23 PM

Best Use For Lots of Leftover, Meaty Risotto? I accidentally made more like Risotto for 4 rather than two, and one person hardly ate as Risotto is very filling. What are the best uses for lots of Risotto besides sitting in my fridge laughing at me.? What other meals can I use it in or as a part of?

The Risotto was cooked in a mushroom broth with dried mushrooms, bacon, and almonds. It's very savory and very heavy. I can eat it for lunch/dinner for the next two days but it's a lead brick of a meal, I don't think I could I put a dent in it that way.

posted by The Whelk to food & drink (19 answers total)

Have friends over and feed them your leftovers! Yum!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 7:24 PM on November 3, 2011

whelk i will eat your risotto because i am a culinary philanthropist.

otherwise can you eat it cold in slices like polenta?
posted by elizardbits at 7:26 PM on November 3, 2011 [2 favorites]

Fried risotto. Add cheese. Fry.

Done.
posted by bilabial at 7:26 PM on November 3, 2011 [9 favorites]

Yeah, rolling into balls and frying (add an egg) is the best thing you can do. Not exactly unheavy though. You could also use it to stuff a chicken, acorn squash, or pretty much anything stuffable.
posted by neroli at 7:29 PM on November 3, 2011

Arancini, for sure. And I bet you could make them, freeze them, and fry them on demand.
posted by padraigin at 7:29 PM on November 3, 2011 [4 favorites]

Arancini and suppli. (Fried risotto fritters with different fillings. Arancini have a bit of meat or meat sauce in the middle, suppli have a bit of mozzarella.) So so good.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:30 PM on November 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mmm... fried risotto!

This might also be tasty in to bulk up a soup, mushroom & onion in a beef broth, maybe? Benefit that you could freeze this for a rainy day.
posted by miss_kitty_fantastico at 7:30 PM on November 3, 2011

You could dilute it with stock and water and make soup.
posted by elizeh at 7:31 PM on November 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Divide into meal-sized portions in baggies, and freeze them, Risotto freezes really well.
posted by flabdablet at 7:32 PM on November 3, 2011

I came in to suggest suppli, too. Sooooo deliciously cheeeeeeesy. Or use it to stuff other things, such as hollowed out tomatoes, zucchini or capsicum/bell peppers. Add the guts of whatever you hollow out to the risotto, mix, stuff it back in, cover with cheese & bake.
posted by goshling at 7:46 PM on November 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

What i call motherloaf, which is actually ground turkey, mushrooms, veggies and left over risotto. The risotto makes it amazing and it is basically a meatloaf. Use the shredder on a food processor and run through lots of msuhrooms, carrots , onions, garlic and form into a well mixed loaf with risotto and ground turkey. Mold into form or loaf and bake at 400 with ketchup or homemade tomato sauce. Surprisingly delicious, and it is all because of the risotto.
posted by provoliminal at 7:54 PM on November 3, 2011 [2 favorites]

Use it to stuff roasted peppers or aubergine!
posted by hot soup girl at 8:00 PM on November 3, 2011

You can freeze risotto and have it again when you are very hungry. I it heats up quite nicely with a big lump of butter in a pan, if you serve it in portion sizes you can have it for a nice hearty winter lunch.
posted by wwax at 8:17 PM on November 3, 2011

My favorite omelette to make is super thin, almost like a crepe, and stuffed with leftover mashed potatoes and cheese. Topped with creamy sauce, if I have some on hand.

I'm sure this would be AWESOME with re-heated risotto in the middle...Mmmmmm.

Also, is there a problem freezing this in individual portions in a good quality plastic bag? Frozen flat, they will defrost in a bowl of COLD water in about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!
posted by jbenben at 8:21 PM on November 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Spoon out a reasonable amount, mix with an egg, fry in butter. Then serve next to a leafy green salad to counteract the heaviness.
posted by Orinda at 8:43 PM on November 3, 2011

Exploit the junction of crispy and creamy: heat a little oil in a pan, then gently press some risotto down into a patty. Break one or two eggs on top, season, then lower the heat, cover the pan and let the bottom crisp up while the eggs gently cook on top of the succulent risotto.

Hungry now.
posted by maudlin at 8:57 PM on November 3, 2011 [2 favorites]

Frittata. Eggs are your friend.
posted by trip and a half at 8:59 PM on November 3, 2011

Or, you know, what Orinda and maudlin said. Eggs.
posted by trip and a half at 9:00 PM on November 3, 2011

Obviously, the best answer is that you should mail it to me today.

But failing that, people are correct that risotto freezes well in small portions; all the ideas above (frittata, soup, etc) work perfectly with those thawed portions. Yum!
posted by Forktine at 4:32 AM on November 4, 2011