Baked Risotto / Arroz con Queso

I can remember the first time I had a rice similar to this when my husband and I were traveling in South America. I enjoyed it so much I tried to replicate it without too much success, it never felt creamy enough like I remembered. Well I finally got it with tweaking a recipe I got from a friend and my own ideas. I hope you give this easy version a try and like it as much as we do. I can't stress enough that the taste of a dish very much depends on the quality of ingredients you are using. If at all possible use fresh parmesan cheese and not the stuff out of a shaker can. If you like the white wine you drink, save a little and use it in the recipe. If you have a bottle of wine you don't enjoy, then don't use it in cooking either, you won't like the taste of it in the recipe. Use a very good quality chicken stock instead of chicken broth. It gives a richer and deeper flavor in soups and in recipes. I like to use Kitchen Basic Chicken Stock if I don't have any homemade stock available, in Winnipeg this product is readily available in most stores.

• 1 1/2 cups of short grain rice (Arborio)
• 5 cups of hot stock
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine (optional, but nice), or more chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a casserole dish put in the rice with only 4 cups of the stock saving 1 cup for the end of the cooking time. 
2. Season to taste.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 
4. Remove from the oven and add the remaining ingredients except parsley, stir very well for 2 minutes til it is thick and creamy. 
5. Stir in parsley. 

Absolutely delicious served with Lemon Pork Piccata  or Easy Bake Chicken 

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