Instant Pot Cheddar Risotto with Fresh Sage ~ I’m hyperventilating just thinking about sharing this recipe with you You must try it, the flavor and texture is so luxurious, and all from a handful of common ingredients. (Did you know risotto takes 6 minutes in the Instant Pot?)
The Instant Pot can do a millions things, but I would buy one all over again just for the risotto.
It makes the most hauntingly delicious authentic risotto in just a few minutes, no stirring, no fussing, no nothing!
Funny thing ~ I considered making this an ‘Intant Pot or Not’ recipe, meaning I would give you both ways so you could choose. But honestly the thought of writing out all the fussy instructions for a stove top risotto made me tired just thinking about it. And I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, the Instant Pot makes better risotto than anything I’ve ever made on the stove, and I’ve been making risotto for years. So here’s the message ~ if you love risotto, just get an Instant Pot, you will not regret it, pinky swear!! (I’m hyperventilating again, can you tell?)
Instant Pot cheddar risotto only uses a few ingredients, so opt for quality
The better your ingredients, the better your risotto.
- a flavorful olive oil
- authentic arborio rice ~ make sure it’s arborio rice, the starchy short grain rice from Italy is extra starchy and nice and firm
- a nice sharp cheddar cheese
- your favorite chicken stock or broth
- a drinkable dry white wine
- fresh sage
I LOVE the flavor of the cheddar in this, it’s so unexpected in a risotto where you usually taste Parmesan or some other Italian cheese. There’s a buttery nutty vibe to the cheddar that is really pleasing to me. I used yellow cheddar and I think the color is lovely, but there’s no reason you can’t use a white cheese, just make sure it’s good and sharp. Fact: there’s no difference between white and yellow cheddar except a little natural food coloring that has been added to the yellow.
Method for making Instant Pot risotto in 6 minutes
- Melt butter in the pot and stir in the rice to coat and toast for a minute or so.
- Add the wine and stir until it evaporates.
- Add the chicken stock and sage, lock the lid, and pressure cook for 6 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the cheese.
This simple elegant recipe has saved me on so many nights when I have no time, no energy, and no ideas for dinner. It feels like a restaurant quality meal, it’s crazy.
tvfgi recommends: 6 Quart Instant Pot
I recommend the 6 Quart size, it’s the sweet spot, not too big or too small. It’s got all the bells and whistles, I love it! It’s currently $69.95 on Amazon Prime.
“I cooked it for 6 mins like your recipe called for and it turned out really well. Perhaps tomorrow I will try mushroom risotto. Now, you have me hooked! I am so happy to have found your site. Your recipes are very inspiring and comfortably familiar.”
Mary Jean
Instant Pot Cheddar Risotto with Fresh Sage
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup (heaped) arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed (use veggie stock for vegetarian)
- 5-6 large fresh sage leaves, more for garnish
- 4 ounces good cheddar cheese, grated
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Plug in the Instant Pot and push sauté. Set to medium. Add the oil and butter and when they are hot, add the rice. Stir to coat the rice and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the wine to the pot and stir until it mostly evaporates, just a minute or two. Press Cancel.
- Add the stock and sage leaves to the pot and give everything a stir. Scrape down the sides of the pot if there is any rice sticking to it. Lock on the cover and set the vent to Seal. Press Pressure Cook and set for 6 minutes.
- When the machine beeps wait 5 minutes, then release the pressure valve. When the pressure has come down, remove the lid.
- Remove the sage leaves and stir in the cheese. Stir until it has completely melted and everything is creamy. If you like you can add a bit more hot chicken stock at this point if you like your risotto with a looser consistency.
- Check the seasonings and ladle the risotto into bowls. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf or two and a grinding of black pepper.
Notes
Variations~
- Sauté a finely chopped shallot in the butter before adding the rice.
- Leave out the wine and use more stock if you don’t want the alcohol.
- Use another flavorful hard cheese like Asiago, Gruyere or Manchego if you like.
- If sage isn’t your thing, try fresh thyme.
No Instant Pot?
- Follow the recipe up to step 2 in a Dutch oven on the stove.
- You’ll need to heat up double the amount of stock (maybe more) and stir it in, ladle by ladle, as you slowly cook the rice, stirring constantly, until it is tender. Taste the rice and if it isn’t tender, keep adding more stock and cook longer. This might take 30 minutes or more.
- Proceed with steps 5 and 6.
Nutrition
I was looking for something new to serve with salmon and veggies – this was easy & tasty!
So glad you found this, what a great meal!
Can shredded Cheddar be used instead, or is there a specific reason you list ‘grated’ Cheddar?
No, shredded is fine.
Love the recipe! I added the shallot as you suggested, some garlic and parsley. I also sliced up the sage and just ate them lol. It was great!
My first time making risotto and it was perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe.