I like to have some easy and fast dinners up my sleeve and this oven-baked risotto with Caprese is on my list of go-to dinners. People ask me all the time if I really cook dinner all the time.
I like to have some easy and fast dinners up my sleeve and this oven-baked risotto with Caprese is on my list of go-to dinners. People ask me all the time if I really cook dinner all the time. Yes, I really do. But I do some things to make it easy to get dinner on the table every night. For starters, keep a well-stocked pantry. When you have ingredients in your house, you can pull something together easily, without having to try too hard. Another is to make something (like chicken breasts), and make more than you need so you can use it in an entirely different way for something else another night. Having cooked chicken breasts in my fridge guarantees me that I will not be ordering a pizza. I can add it to a salad, pizza, pasta, and tacos, the possibilities are endless.
This method for making risotto is not traditional, admittedly. That being said, who cares? It tastes delicious. It is creamy and rich like a risotto should be. You could forget about the chicken and Caprese, add some Parmesan cheese, and serve this as a side dish. There are so many things that you can do to change this meal up. A nice vegetarian option might be to make a mushroom ragu and serve that on top. I think that might be on my meal plan in the very near future.
Oven-Baked Risotto with Caprese Chicken Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 chopped small onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 cooked chicken breasts
- 1 (8-ounce) ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
How to Make – The Steps
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put the butter in a 9×13 baking dish or a 2-quart baker like this one. Bake the batter in the oven until it melts, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the Arborio rice, onions, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Pour the chicken broth over and cover with tin foil. Bake for 35 minutes.
Step 4: While the rice is cooking, combine the sliced tomatoes, onions (I like onions in my Caprese, so I added a little bit at the last minute), olive oil, and balsamic. Gently toss in the mozzarella and basil. Set aside.
Step 5: Take the rice out of the oven and fluff it with a fork. Top the rice with chicken breast and the Caprese.
Oven Baked Risotto with Caprese Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 chopped small onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 cooked chicken breasts
- 1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put the butter in a 9×13 baking dish or a 2 quart baker. Bake the butter in the oven until it melts, about 5 minutes.
- Add the Arborio rice, onions, salt and pepper.
- Pour the chicken broth over and cover with tin foil. Bake for 35 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, combine the sliced tomatoes, onions (I like onions in my caprese, so I added a little bit at the last minute), olive oil, and balsamic. Gently toss in the mozzarella and basil. Set aside.
- Take the rice out of the oven and fluff with a fork.Top the rice with chicken breast and the caprese.