Bacon Spinach Wild Mushroom Risotto

A wonderfully creamy, cheesy risotto (Italian rice) with bits of bacon, onion, bell pepper and spinach intertwined. The flavors blend so perfectly.

I know, I’ve not been posting recipes much lately … you guys, I’ve been seriously distracted. Not much distracts me from food … but I have a couple things in my life lately that have been totally pulling me away from my food passion. Not that it’s a bad thing. I am seriously loving every moment of my life lately (well, other than the sore throat thing that was plaguing me this week), but still there’s a little pang of guilt in my heart for neglecting you, my dear foodie friends.

So what is so distracting, you ask, that could pull me away from my beloved blog? Well, first, there’s a new man in my life. It’s been years since I even thought about dating and no, I wasn’t looking, but there he was. He just happened along one weekend when I was visiting my best friend at the lake. Together we’re crazy and fun and romantic and wild. He makes me laugh. I find myself smiling constantly … he’s a bit of a foodie, too, so don’t worry, the recipes will still be happening. I just may not get things posted quite as quickly as I figure out how to fit time for him into my busy schedule.

And then the other thing is these art projects my daughter and I are working on … we are making bottle cap jewelry and wine cork angels for our big wine & design event this winter. I’m getting a little over-obsessed over the bottle cap jewelry and spending WAY too much time on it. I’m not a quick crafty kind of person–I really really really overthink things. I carefully construct and ponder over each piece, the words, the colors, the placement of charms and the wiring.

But somehow I did make time to make this risotto last Sunday, after spending Friday night with him, Saturday at a yoga workshop and Sunday obsessing over bottle caps. It’s a good thing that risotto is a quick thing to make. Yes, it takes a bit of stirring, but it’s done before a pizza could be delivered and it’s so comforting and warm and good. I personally find the stirring relaxing and meditative … it’s a time I can let my mind drift off and just be.

Bacon Spinach Wild Mushroom Risotto

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 - 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 – 4 strips lean bacon or Canadian bacon
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup arborio, white or basmati rice
• 2 – 4 Tablespoons finely chopped bell pepper
• 2 – 4 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups sauteed wild mushrooms, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh chopped spinach leaves
• 1 cup freshly shredded fontina or other flavorful cheese such as Asiago or Dubliner

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Instructions

1. Fry the bacon in a saucepan over medium heat, then remove and crumble or chop. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
2. Add the butter and rice to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is lightly brown and smells fragrant and toasted. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Stir in the wine and stir and cook until the wine is fully absorbed, then add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and cooking each time until the liquid is fully absorbed into the rice before adding more. Continue this until the rice is nearly done, then stir in the mushrooms (with juices) and stir and cook until the mushroom juice is gone, the rice is done and the mixture is nice and creamy.
4. Stir in the spinach and cheese and cook just briefly to melt the cheese and wilt the spinach.
5. Serve hot with extra shredded cheese and snipped chives for garnish.

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Notes

I used Shaggy Mane mushrooms, which have to be sauteed immediately after picking … if your mushrooms are fresh, you could probably toss them in with the onions.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Weekend Potluck, Munching Monday, Treasure Box Tuesday, Foodie Friends Friday and Hearth & Soul Bloghop.