EASY (30 - 40 minutes)
BYO Ingredients & Utensils
625ml (2½ cups) boiling water
20g butter
1 tsp olive oil
fine grater
medium deep frypan with lid
medium frypan
paper towel
Instructions
1. Prep ingredients
Finely chop the onion. Coarsely chop half the cream cheese*. Crush or finely chop the garlic. Finely grate the parmesan. To make the stock, put 3 tsp pepper and garlic seasoning (see Kitchen notes) in a heatproof jug, add 625ml (2½ cups) boiling water and stir to dissolve.
2. Start risotto
Melt 20g butter in a medium deep frypan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring, for 5 mins or until soft. Add the garlic and rice and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins until the grains are well coated and the garlic is fragrant.
3. Cook risotto and bacon
Add the pepper and garlic stock to the rice mixture, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 mins or until the rice is almost tender. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring, for 4-5 mins until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.
4. Finish risotto
Stir the cream cheese into the risotto and cook, stirring, for 2-3 mins until combined and the rice is cooked (the risotto should still be loose and saucy). Remove the pan from the heat. Cover and stand for 4 mins, then stir in the spinach. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve up
Divide the risotto among bowls and scatter over the bacon and parmesan. Enjoy!
6. Kitchen notes
Our pepper and garlic seasoning has a mild peppery kick, so reduce the amount if you prefer less heat. ~ Risotto is best served immediately after cooking, as the rice will continue to soak up the liquid and may become stodgy. If this happens, simply add a little extra boiling water to loosen the risotto.