Italian Sausage Risotto

I made an Italian Sausage Risotto for dinner and there was happiness in the land! My family loves this recipe! My husband, who was doubtful that risotto could compare to his beloved Asian fried rice, served himself thirds. My kids loved the recipe as evident in this conversation we had after dinner:

Kindergarten-aged Daughter: "Mom, can I have these leftovers in my lunch at school tomorrow?"
Me: "Sorry, no. It has meat and you need a microwave to warm it up to eat it."
Daughter: "Can I have the leftovers when I get home from school as a snack?"

A risotto is a class of Italian dishes of rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. To make this more than just a deliciously flavored rice with meat and peas I added some sliced mushrooms and served it alongside a fresh green salad. This will definitely become a favorite meal in our future menu plans.

Italian Sausage Risotto
Recipe courtesy of Once a Month Mom


    * 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    * 16 ounces Italian Sausage links (like Johnsohnville), sliced
    * 1 cup apple juice
    * 1 cup onion, diced
    * 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    * 1.25 cups rice
    * 1 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine (can also sub apple juice)
    * 3.5 cups chicken broth
    * 1 cup peas, frozen
    * 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
    * 1/2 cup Romano Cheese, grated

In a large saucepan, cook the sausage in apple juice. When finished cooking, remove from pan and slice. Heat oil in a large stockpot,  add sliced sausage and onion, cooking until browned and softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cook for one minute longer. (*I added sliced mushrooms at this point as well.) Add wine and rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in 3 cups of the chicken broth. Lower the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until broth is absorbed. Add the rest of the chicken broth slowly, stirring until rice is cooked and creamy. Stir in peas and cheeses; cook until heated through. Serve.

Freezing Directions:
Follow all directions above. Allow to cool. Package in freezer containers. To serve: Thaw. Slowly warm on stove top, in slow cooker or in microwave. You may need to add a little chicken broth to bring it back to it’s creamy texture.

*My Notes: I used ground Italian sausage instead of sliced. I cooked the meat in 1 cup apple juice and continued adding the other ingredients without removing the meat from the pan. (I did drain off some of the meat fat which might have drained off my apple juice if it hadn't already evaporated.) I didn't add another cup of apple juice later in the recipe (no wine for us!) but instead just added the broth.