Instant Pot Cheddar Risotto with Fresh Sage ~ I’m hyperventilating just thinking about sharing this recipe with you ย 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 Quartย 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.
Reader Rave ~
“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!ย I am so happy to have found your site. Your recipes are very inspiring and comfortably familar. I just purchased my instant pot the other day, so I am just learning how to use it, and I am looking forward to trying lots more of your recipes. Thank you for the time you take to take beautiful photos, write great recipes and make food exciting.” ~Mary Jean
Instant Pot Cheddar Risotto with Fresh Sage
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 sautรฉ. Set to medium. Add the oil and butter and when they are hot, add the rice. Stir to coat the rice and sautรฉ 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
ย
Variations~
- Sautรฉ 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.
ย
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. ย Taste the rice and if it isn't tender, keep adding more stock and cook longer. This might take 30 minutes or more.ย
- Proceed with steps 5 and 6.
56 Comments
Jolene
February 27, 2021 at 1:40 pmI loved the original recipe BUT I wanted to try adding carmelized onions (which I made in the Instant Pot and left in at the beginning of the recipe)- cooking right now. I have also seen Carbonara risotto so I would love to see if you could make an IP recipe for that as well. Thank you for a great recipe- yours is the first risotto I have ever had and made.
Sue Moran
February 27, 2021 at 3:05 pmI’m definitely going to do the IP carbonara risotto, thanks for the idea. And I also think the caramelized onions sound amazing, you might try them in a plainer risotto as well, one with just a smaller amount of Parmesan sounds good.
Annette Roussel
February 24, 2021 at 6:53 pmSo I decided to get the 6 Quart Instant Pot just so that I could try this recipe. Wow! I am so glad I did that! This recipe is wonderful. I’ve never had Arbour rice before, never had Risotto. The family loves it too. I’ve made this a few times now and it comes out perfect every time. It’s so easy! I looked at your Meyer Lemon Risotto and it looks complicated. I was mulling over how I could do that one in the Instant Pot. Can I do the Meyer Lemon Risotto in the Instant Pot? Would I just throw everything in the pot like this one and stir in the final ingredients after the rice is cooked?
Sue Moran
February 25, 2021 at 6:09 amHi Anette ~ yes, you can do the lemon risotto that way, for sure. I love lemon risotto and think I might write up an IP recipe for that, great idea!
Genola
February 2, 2021 at 5:14 pmThis was super easy and turned out PERFECT! Best risotto Iโve ever made. Thank you!
Sue Moran
February 2, 2021 at 5:30 pmI’m glad I made a convert Genola, you can customize this in so many ways ๐
vivian
February 1, 2021 at 6:59 amA really lovely, cozy risotto for a chilly January night. I used veggie broth and garnished it with crisped and salted sage leaves and it was well liked by all of us. Thanks for a great recipe!
Teresa
January 31, 2021 at 3:27 pmHi Sue, just made your risotto with the cheddar cheese it came out very delightful. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe
Brooks Sharon
January 25, 2021 at 9:17 amIโm not seeing if the pressure is on hi or low.
Sue Moran
January 25, 2021 at 11:10 amThat’s high pressure.
Susan
January 25, 2021 at 8:06 amHi Sue,
I want to make this but want to know if I could substitute Basmati rice for the Arborio?
All of your recipes that Iโve made are company worthy and Iโm sure this one will be also.
Thank you,
Susan
Sue Moran
January 25, 2021 at 9:14 amHonestly I’ve never used basmati for risotto, and part of the problem would be the texture, basmati would probably get a bit mushy. If you really want the risotto experience it’s worth it to wait and buy Arborio, it’s available in any grocery store.
lowandslow
January 25, 2021 at 7:29 amI have an 8 qt. stove top p/c how can this recipe be adapted from the i/p? We just purchased a 2 lb. block of 2 year aged Tillamook white cheddar and my sage is doing well,can`t wait to try this. Thanks.
Sue Moran
January 25, 2021 at 7:46 amLove Tillamook, that’s what I usually use! I think in the 8 qt you could double the recipe, but that would give you a lot of risotto.
Gabriele
December 7, 2020 at 1:00 pmCan you sub sage leaves for ground sage??
Sue
December 7, 2020 at 1:10 pmYes, sure.
Frances
November 15, 2020 at 5:51 pmWe are not novice cooks but are new to cooking Risotto. Have had it in fine restaurants.
But love our Instant Pot and knew this one would be a winner! It was spot on! Arborio was al dente and the combination of the the sage and chicken Broth with cheese ! Oh my!
Will make this again and again!
Wonderful!
Giulia
November 14, 2020 at 11:40 amCan I use a crock pot instead of an instant pot? What will I have to change if so?
Sue Moran
January 25, 2021 at 6:48 amI haven’t tried it in a slow cooker but I give directions for the stove top at the bottom of the recipe.
Eric crutchfield
October 6, 2020 at 5:20 pmPure mush! Way to much cooking time. Waste of good Arborio rice.
Sue
October 6, 2020 at 5:46 pmI beg to differ Eric ~ good arborio rice cooks to a perfect al dente texture in 6 minutes in my Instant Pot, and I’ve done it many times, with different brands. I would check the quality of your rice.
Manuel Yates
September 23, 2020 at 5:35 pmFirst time I have ever made or tried Risotto. This was awesome!
Sue
September 24, 2020 at 6:04 amI’m grinning Manuel because you have a world of fabulous risotto to explore now…glad this one worked out so well for you ๐
barbara eason
September 21, 2020 at 9:34 amHave no Instant pot, could I use rice cooker ?
Sue
September 21, 2020 at 9:43 amI don’t think the rice cooker will work Barbara, I’d have to research that. But you can certainly make risotto on the stove top, it just takes more time. You would need more stock in that case, too.
Carrie
September 16, 2020 at 5:53 amCan’t wait to make this TONIGHT! I planted sage this year (now I know why). Risotto is one of my all time favorites and love how fast and easy it is in the IP! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sue
September 16, 2020 at 5:59 amI probably make this myself more than any other recipe on the blog Carrie, hope you love it, it’s so versatile, too, so feel free to change it up for future meals.
Carrie
October 13, 2020 at 7:55 amIt was absolutely delicious! I was hesitant on adding too many sage leaves, so I reduced the amount. . .I should have put them all in. Flavor from the wine and cheddar cheese was a delicious change from my normal parmesan risotto. There were no leftovers, so that tells me it was a hit and I will double the recipe next time.
Lisa
July 12, 2020 at 4:59 amI made this tonight (minus the sage, added a small diced shallot) and it was delicious!!!
Sue
July 12, 2020 at 6:12 amThis is a personal favorite recipe of mine Lisa, glad you loved it ๐
Lisa
July 10, 2020 at 5:03 pmThis looks amazing but I do have a question…could I omit the sage?
Sue
July 10, 2020 at 8:38 pmYes, definitely.
Deborah
August 22, 2019 at 2:55 pmSounds yummy! Quick question .. do you mean 1 rounded IP rice cup (included when purchased or 1 rounded measuring cup of rice. They arenโt the same and I donโt want to screw this up. Thanks!!
Deborah Cantrell
April 12, 2020 at 9:34 amI love this risotto and have made it several times. This time, no sage to be found, and my sage plant is missing in action. So I used thyme at your suggestion. And it was so so good! This quarantine and social distancing has somehow made it difficult to be enthused about foodโI usually have no trouble with that. This recipe is just what I needed!
Sue
April 12, 2020 at 10:44 amI love your comment Deborah, I sing the praises of this risotto to anyone who will listen ๐
Sue Moran
January 25, 2021 at 6:51 amI use 1 standard cup of rice.
Kobie Baker
March 3, 2019 at 5:15 pmTruly grateful to have stumbled upon this recipe earlier today. I made this to go along with our Sunday dinner with barbecued beef short ribs. I did double the recipe and only added 1 additional minute of cook time. The risotto turned out terrific. Everyone was raving about it. Thanks for an incredibly easy, tasty recipe.
Sue
March 3, 2019 at 5:19 pmI’m especially thrilled to read this Kobie because I’m passionate about this risotto, it’s probably the meal I’ve made most for myself over the last several months, I’m addicted to it!
Louise Babb
February 16, 2019 at 11:25 amIt’s cooking now : ) … my kind of recipe, thank you for sharing it!
Sue
February 16, 2019 at 12:14 pmOf all the IP risottos I’ve experimented with so far, and I’ve done quite a few, this is my favorite…so simple and so good ๐
MaryJean Bretton
October 15, 2018 at 9:35 amIf I double the recipe, do I need to add more pressure cooking time? Of course I have already doubled it, liquid and all, so I guess I will see what happens. I did not add more time to the cook time. Eeks…
Sue
October 15, 2018 at 11:38 amI haven’t tried doubling the recipe Mary Jean but it’s been on my mind to do. I think it might need a few extra minutes, which you can do once you check yours. If it isn’t done, you can lock the lid back on and add more time. Be aware that when you take the lid off this risotto it will seem wet, but once you stir it and add the cheese it becomes thick and creamy.
Mary Jean
October 15, 2018 at 6:30 pmHi Sue,
Yes, it did seem wet after I took off the lid. But just like you said, once I stirred it and added the cheese it was delightful. We actually had it for breakfast this morning. Yum…
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 familar. I just purchased my instant pot the other day, so I am just learning how to use it, and I am looking forward to trying lots more of your recipes. Thank you for the time you take to take beautiful photos, write great recipes and make food exciting.
Sue
October 15, 2018 at 7:32 pmI love this comment, thanks so much for making my night Mary Jean. I’m laughing because I’ve been boring all my friends with my endless talk about IP risottos (I eat the leftovers for breakfast too.). I’ve done mushroom several times and I recommend using a little bit of Marsala wine ๐
[email protected] is How I Cook
October 9, 2018 at 9:39 amThis does sound like I should buy an InstaPot! Sounds heavenly!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
October 8, 2018 at 5:53 pmI love risotto and the addition of sage is just perfect!
Chris Scheuer
October 8, 2018 at 11:09 amYummers! I love the idea of cheddar instead of parmesan in risotto. Love, love, love my instant pot too and love IP risotto!
robert
October 8, 2018 at 9:57 amplease make an instant pot wild mushroom risotto…
Sue
October 8, 2018 at 10:12 amI have a recipe coming up, I used creminis, and it’s so good ๐ I’ll get it out asap.
robert
October 8, 2018 at 10:28 amWooHoo!!!!
Alice
October 8, 2018 at 7:07 amNo instant pot nor room for one in this house! Wish it could be done in the slow cooker!
Sue
October 8, 2018 at 7:19 amYou can do it on the stove, Alice…you’ll need more stock, and you’ll add it slowly, ladle by ladle, until the rice is tender. Then add the cheese.
Lynn A
October 8, 2018 at 1:23 pmAlice, I don’t own an instant pot, either. But, I’ve found my 6 qt old-fashioned, stove top pressure cooker gets the job done for instant pot recipes I’ve tried.
Tricia
October 7, 2018 at 6:45 amThis sounds so incredibly easy – a must try! All the ingredients sound like they’re made for each other. Sharing and pinning!
Sue
October 8, 2018 at 6:27 amI was blown away by the flavor of this Tricia, I don’t think I’ve ever had cheddar cheese in a risotto, and wow!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
October 7, 2018 at 5:25 amLooks fabulous! Love a cheese risotto and especially love making it easy in my Instant Pot ๐