Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto. A comforting, hearty fall risotto recipe.
I gave in. I FINALLY made something pumpkin. But it was planned. And it is only October 2nd. Even though everyone else has been making pumpkin recipes for the past month, I held out so I could contribute to Pumpkin Week with my Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto.
What is Pumpkin week?
It is the same group of bloggers that I participated with in blackberry week ( remember my blackberry cobbler ice cream, oh so good) and they do a theme week a few times a year. This group is from all over the country and even Hawaii ( Waves to Monica on Oahu) and we all share a favorite or brand new recipe, sweet or savory, and a few of us post each day of the week.
I was joking the other day how I am failing as a seasonal blogger since I hadn't posted any apple or pumpkin recipes yet, and I still have posts sitting in draft from the summer. I could post them soon OR schedule them all for next July and forget that I did that and have a nice surprise when July rolls around and all my posts are done for the month. Or next July I could be posting Christmas recipes that I had finally gotten around to doing. Christmas in July, yay!
While I do like pumpkin waffles or even pumpkin cinnamon rolls; I much prefer pumpkin in savory dishes than sweet. And sorry Starbucks fans, I just don't care for the beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte that everyone can't get enough of this time of year. Just think of it this way; the less PSLs I drink, the more there are for you to drink. Win-win.
Risotto sounds fancy, like something you would order at a fancy restaurant and never make at home. I would have to say its really NOT that fancy. It is if you add lobster, but for the most part it is an easy to make recipe and easily impresses dinner guests. Any flavor combinations are possible with risotto. The first time I made it I was like 900 months pregnant with my first daughter and it was my husband's birthday. I wanted to have him come home to a nice dinner, but he was working late. And ended up staying even later.
So here I was like at 10:30 at night stirring risotto for an hour to make it PERFECT, literally barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen and trying not to fall asleep. I was exhausted. I had a baby kicking me like mad and I was making risotto with lobster. Or was it king crab? I can't remember exactly now, but I remember it was amazing and my husband loved it. He came home I handed him a plate of food, gave him a kiss and said happy birthday and I went to bed and passed out. I'm exciting, huh?
I have since made risotto several times and since rice is a staple in our house I love playing with different flavor combinations with risotto. I knew that this would be perfect for #PumpkinWeek. Plus, bacon. Bacon makes everything better. Even mud.
Don't you want to just stuff your face in that bowl of creamy risotto goodness?? I did. I mean I would.
Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto #PumpkinWeek
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices bacon diced
- 2 cups apple cider or juice not spiced
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 ½ c leeks white and green part only diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½-1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ c pumpkin puree fresh or canned, not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Italian flat leaf parsley
- Grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the chicken or vegetable stock and apple cider and set over very low heat.
- In a stock pot or deep sided sauté pan cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes, being careful not to burn. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Drain off all but 2 tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the leeks and sauté until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and nutmeg and sauté until fragrant, another 30 seconds. Add in the rice and the wine and stir well until the wine is cooked down. Turn the heat under the chicken stock to medium. Add in ½ cup of chicken stock mixture to the rice mixture and stir until absorbed. Repeat with ½ a cup at a time until the rice is al-dente, stirring well after each addition. You may not end up using all the chicken stock mixture. Mix in the pumpkin puree and maple syrup and stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the rice is chewier than desired add more chicken stock in and stir. Stir in the bacon and serve immediately. Top with chopped Italian parsley and a little grated parmesan cheese.
Stop by and Check out everyone else's posts from #PumpkinWeek:
Monday
Kirsten @ Comfortably Domestic – Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Beka @ Kvetchin’ Kitchen – Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Tuesday
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama – Pumpkin Pie Macarons
Jeanne @ Inside NanaBread’s Head – Pumpkin Hazelnut Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter
Wednesday
Megan @ Country Cleaver – No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Caramel Cones
Allison @ Decadent Philistines – Pumpkin Marshmallows & Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Shanna @ Pineapple & Coconut – Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto (That's me!)
Thursday
Anne @ From My Sweet Heart – Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Icing & Candied Pepitas
Kat @ Tenaciously Yours – Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart
Madelyn @ La Petite Pancake – Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Frosting
Friday
Madeline @ Munching in the Mitten – Savory Pumpkin Tart
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain – Pumpkin Mousse with Candied Squash
Kirsten @ Comfortably Domestic – Pumpkin Kiss Cookies
Saturday
Beka @ Kvetchin’ Kitchen – Pumpkin Scones
Monica @ The Grommom – Pumpkin Ice Cream
Mmmmmm bacon.
[…] oatmeal or dress up butternut squash. You can try it in more savory applications, too, such as this maple pumpkin risotto or salmon […]