Chicken, Broccoli and Cheddar Risotto

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Transfer broccoli florets to a baking dish and give them a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Toss it all together to coat the broccoli, then get the dish into the oven for 15 minutes. While it cooks, start on the risotto. Heat a dash of olive oil in a large skillet with deep sides over medium high heat. Heat the chicken stock in a small pot on low heat just to warm it up on the burner either next to or behind the skillet.

Get the diced chicken into the large skillet and let it get completely cooked through and slightly golden on the outside for about 5 minutes. Remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon. The broccoli should also be done at this point, so take it out and set it aside. Then melt the butter in the skillet and add the arborio rice. Let the rice gently toast and absorb the rice for a minute, then add the beer. Let the rice completely absorb the beer.

Now the patience comes in. Ladle in about 3 scoops of the warm chicken broth and stir it in continuously with the rice until it is completely absorbed. Keep repeating this until the stock is all used up and the rice is tender. It’s important to keep stirring the rice as it cooks. The whole process will take about 20 minutes. Once it is done, turn off the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, chicken and broccoli. Let it all meld together and warm through. Season everything with an extra sprinkle of salt and pepper and give it a final stir. Scoop it into pretty bowls and serve immediately! Enjoy!