Instant Pot Cheddar Cheese Risotto recipe. Is it authentic Italian? No. But it is fantastic, creamy and rich. And, thanks to pressure cooking, there is no stirring required.
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I saw cheddar risotto on the menu of a local restaurant and thought "that doesn't sound very Italian now, does it." (I'm sure you're shocked, shocked to find that I'm a bit of a food snob.)
It might not sound Italian, but I couldn't shake the idea. Sharp cheddar and creamy risotto rice? I had to try it. Turns out, that local restaurant had a great idea for fusion cuisine. Cheese and rice go great together, even if they are a cultural cross-pollination. I added peas because I like the burst of green vegetable to balance the rich and creamy rice, but that's entirely optional.
(Apologies to this unnamed restaurant. It's a great idea, and I can't remember its name. I've searched my google history to no avail.)
Ingredients Notes and Variations
Risotto Rice: Risotto needs starchy short grain rice. Arborio rice is the traditional rice that is easiest to find in my local grocery stores. Carnaroli rice and Vialone Nano rice are also great, probably a touch better than Arborio. They're not so much better that you should go hunting for them, but if they are easy to find, use one of them instead of the Arborio. Other types of short grain rice are OK, and can be used in a pinch, but Arborio is much better for risotto. Don't use medium grain rice or long grain rice - it's not starchy enough for risotto.
Cheddar cheese: I want an extra sharp cheddar cheese for my risotto - white cheddar is fine, but I like the look the orange cheddar gives the risotto. If you can find extra sharp cheese pre-shredded, it's fine. My local store doesn't carry it, and cutting the block of cheddar into small cubes wasn't hard. (And, yes, I know this is not an authentic Italian risotto; cheddar cheese is not Italian. If you want an authentic recipe, try one of my other risotto recipes, like my Instant Pot Risotto Milanese.)
Smokehouse variation: Use smoked cheddar, and replace the peas with bacon bits.
Frozen Peas (are optional): If you can find them, smaller "petite frozen peas" are best in this recipe - the smaller peas match the size of the rice. That said, regular sized peas are fine.
I use frozen peas in almost all of my pea recipes - peas go from fresh to starchy very quickly, so fresh peas are only good for a short window of time in the summer. Frozen peas, picked at the peak of ripeness and frozen immediately, are almost always better than fresh peas.
If you're a pea-hater, or just want a plain risotto, skip them - they're optional.
Edamame for more protein: Edamame make a great substitute for the peas, with more protein. (Edamame is the Japanese name for soybeans.) Buy frozen peeled edamame, and substitute it for the peas.
Chicken broth: Of course, homemade chicken broth is best. (And, if you have an Instant Pot, you should make your own broth. Cheat and make Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Broth if you have to.) If you use store-bought broth, skip the ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt added to the broth. Store-bought broth is much saltier than homemade broth.
How to make Instant Pot Cheddar Risotto in Pictures
Sauté the onion, toast the rice
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter using sauté mode, then sauté a small minced onion until soft, add the rice, and sauté the rice until it turns translucent at the edges.
Stir in the broth
Stir the broth into the pot, scraping the bottom with a flat-edged wooden spoon to make sure nothing is sticking
Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes with a quick release
Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release
Stir in the cheddar, peas, and butter
Add the diced cheddar, frozen peas, and butter, and stir until the cheese is melted and the peas are heated through. Enjoy!
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Instant Pot Cheddar Cheese Risotto Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups of risotto 1x
Description
Instant Pot Cheddar Cheese Risotto recipe. Is it authentic Italian? No. But it is fantastic, creamy and rich. And, thanks to pressure cooking, there is no stirring required.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups Arborio rice (or Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano)
- 4 cups homemade chicken broth (or store-bought low-sodium broth)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (skip if using store-bought low-sodium broth)
- 6 ounces frozen peas (about 1 ½ cups), rinsed to remove any ice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into small cubes or shredded
Instructions
- Sauté the onions and rice: Heat the butter in an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode-High until the butter stops foaming, about 3 minutes. (Use medium-high heat in a stovetop PC.) Add the minced onion to the pot and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice turns translucent at the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Broth into the pot: Stir in the chicken broth (and the second ½ teaspoon salt if using homemade broth). Scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to ensure the rice is not sticking to the pot.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes with a Quick Release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes in an Instant Pot, electric pressure cooker, or stovetop pressure cooker (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode set to 5 minutes in an Instant Pot). After the pressure cooking time is over, quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the scalding hot steam.
- Stir in peas, butter, and cheddar: Leave the pot in keep warm mode (or put a stovetop pressure cooker over low heat.) Add the frozen peas, butter and cheddar cheese, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Cover the pot (but don't lock the lid) and let the residual heat steam the peas until they are heated through, about five minutes.
- Serve: Scoop the risotto into bowls, serve, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 321
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 1282.1 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.6 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 12.9 g
- Cholesterol: 56 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
- Burn warning: I don't get burn warnings with my risotto technique, which is a little surprising when I think about it. Instant Pot Rice recipes like to get burn warnings (like my personal nemesis, Chicken and Rice), because the starch sinks to the bottom of the pot and scorches. I think it's the extra broth in my risotto technique - a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice is what you want for the creamy, almost soupy texture of risotto, which thins out the starch enough that it doesn't get a chance to burn in the pot. Also, that flat-edged wooden spoon is your best friend for this recipe - make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot before you lock the lid.
- Can I use brown rice? Brown rice doesn't work well for risotto. The point of risotto is the starchy, creamy texture, and brown rice protects its starch inside its bran coating. I wouldn't use it for the same reasons I won't use long-grain rice in my risotto.
- Why didn't my cheese melt smoothly? If you used pre-shredded cheese, it comes with a potato starch coating, which can interfere with melting. (I use pre-shredded cheese all the time, but I've had readers with this issue.) If this is happening to you, switch to a block of cheese, and shred or cube it yourself.
- Can I add a protein to this recipe? You can, but that changes the technique a bit. Check out my Instant Pot Chicken Risotto or Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto recipes for examples with protein, and swap in the cheddar cheese for the cheese in those recipes.
- My risotto is too soupy? It thickens as it sits after cooking - if you let it rest for an extra five minutes, it will thicken up nicely.
Storing Leftovers
Risotto will last for a day or two in the refrigerator, or for up to 3 months in the freezer (I store it in 2-cup containers). But, for food safety, you have to make sure your rice is reheated all the way through.
Cooked rice does not keep for long - it carries bacteria spores (Bacillus cereus) that multiply in warm temperatures. If you need to store cooked rice, cool it down quickly in the refrigerator, or freeze it within an hour of cooking. Store refrigerated rice for 2-3 days or frozen rice for up to 3 months, and make sure to reheat it completely (to at least 165°F) before eating. (Source: Safe Handling of Cooked Rice, University of Wisconsin Extension).
What to Serve with Cheddar Cheese Risotto
I serve cheddar risotto with peas as a main dish - it's a sinker - with a spring mix salad and a side vegetable (I like broccoli rabe with it, or asparagus when it's in season.) It also makes a great side dish for simple roast meats.
Related Posts
Instant Pot Radicchio Risotto (Risotto al Radicchio)
Instant Pot Risotto with Pork and Cinnamon (Risotto All'Isolana)
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto (Risotto ai Funghi)
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot Rice Recipes, and my entire index of Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Recipes.
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