Spinach Artichoke Risotto is the ultimate in creamy, comforting goodness with all the flavors of the classic dip. This easy, cheesy, vegetarian entrée or side dish can be on the table in 30 minutes!
This post is sponsored by BJ’s Wholesale Club, but my love for their fresh, affordable products are my own.
Easy Spinach Artichoke Risotto
What do you do when all you want for dinner is a big bucket of cheesy spinach artichoke dip? Just dip. Nothing else.
That was me this past Monday. The day I should be eating ultra clean after a weekend of partaking in way too much of all things carbs and hops.
No joke. I could have eaten a whole 5 gallon bucket of that stuff for breakfast if I had it around. A big beautiful bucket of ooey gooey, creamy, cheesy af, spinach artichoke dip and a fork.
The adult inside of me said “No way! It’s healthy smoothie time” Then I realized, that’s right I AM AN ADULT, and I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want.
So while I’m out running errands, I make a little pit stop into by my local Bj’s to pick up the ingredients for the dip. By the way, I’m really loving this Bj’s Wholesale Club membership I got a couple of months ago. It’s been a wonderful resource to have during the winter when the local farm CSAs aren’t running or have limited products and I’ve been pretty impressed so far with the quality of Bj’s grass fed products and organic veggies.
what is risotto rice?
Risotto is made out of Arborio rice, an Italian short-grain rice. When cooking the Arborio over low heat and adding liquid, the short grains will absorb the liquid and release starch at the same time, resulting in an ultra creamy risotto. I’ll eat risotto with anything and it’s one of my favorite side dishes for salmon too.
So, while I’m shopping for dip ingredients, I see this huge bag of Arborio rice for $8.99!!! What??!!?!? Can’t believe I buy a small little 2 pound bag for the same price at another grocery store right down the street. SOLD!! And in the cart it goes…
Then, I have a breakthrough…what if I combined the spinach artichoke dip with the rice to make an actual meal so I don’t look like an idiot eating just dip for dinner? Heck yes! Spinach artichoke risotto it is! Sometimes I wonder why I haven’t won the Nobel Prize yet.
Here are some of my favorite things I bought on my trip. That Bolthouse Farms Organic carrot juice is $6.99 at my local store but I paid $3.99 at Bj’s (with a $1.00 off in-club coupon). I bought 3 of those. Also got a big hunk of Havarti cheese for the risotto. This Monday is getting better by the minute.
Found this too. It’s the same one I buy from my regular grocery store but it’s $3.00 less per pound here. Winning!!
One of the best things about shopping for cheese at Bj’s is that if you turn around, there’s all the champagne and wine!!! Wooohooo! Of course, I had to pick up a bottle of my fav champagne to have in the house for Valentine’s Day.
Best price in town and it comes with a fancy bottle koozie…(fyi, I have about 10 of those koozies at home so if anyone wants a few, please email me your address and I’ll send them right out).
Hope you enjoy this Spinach Artichoke Risotto as part of a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner in or as a regular weekday meal.
Got leftovers? Try these crunchy, yet creamy bites!
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 3 cups frozen chopped spinach , thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup artichoke hearts (not marinated) , chopped
- 1 garlic clove , finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper , optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 7-8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups Havarti cheese , shredded
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a heavy-bottomed large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic, and crushed red pepper (optional) to the onions and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.
Heat the broth in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and keep hot (broth must be hot before adding to rice). In the same large pan that the spinach artichoke mixture was cooked in, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the Arborio rice and cook, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute, making sure all rice is coated with the butter.
Add the wine and stir constantly until the wine has fully absorbed into the rice, about 1-2 minutes. Add the hot broth, 1 cup at a time, to the rice and stir constantly until the broth is almost fully absorbed into the rice. Continue to add the broth until the rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20-25 minutes. Add more broth for a creamier texture. Rice should be slightly al dente (firm to the bite), not mushy, and a very creamy texture.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the Havarti cheese, the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and the spinach artichoke mixture. Stir well and heat through for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately.
LMAO right now. Girl, you had too many funny gems in this one. I don’t know why you haven’t won the Nobel prize yet, either. Perhaps it’s ’cause you are just TOO good, ya know? Craving something carby and cheesy after the weekend is just your bod saying you may not have had enough over the weekend, so, you know, really you done your body good!
Loving this take on spinach artichoke dip. It’s like dip, only better. Plus, it’s a meal not a snack so no shame. And holy moly…..havarti cheese? Yes please! That stuff is da bomb… cheesy goodness right there. 4 lbs of Arborio rice for $8.99? How can you NOT buy it? I loves me some risotto and I’d be filling my cart up too. And A+ for champagne. You better test a bottle out before Valentine’s Day, though, to ensure that it tastes good…..just saying
I could swim in that bowl of risotto. Food porn. ?
You are killing me with this risotto! It looks soooo good! Guess I need to make another run to BJ’s and grab me a bag. Oh and I love that champagne koozie!! How did I miss that? I think I “need” one, ha ha! Your risotto looks so rich and creamy I could eat it by the bowl bowl fulls. I can’t wait to make it!
Lol! You crack me up, K! You make BJ’s sound all sorts of amazing! I’ve never been and there isn’t one around here, so I’ll have to live vicariously through you (feel free to send me one of those koozies so I get the full effect). I love risotto and spinach artichoke dip, so this dish is screaming my name! Looks delish, girlie!! Can’t wait to make this! Cheers!
I’m laughing so hard right now, K! I love when I can be an adult and eat whatever I want and now I want this risotto! I nominate you for the Nobel Prize because this is one genius invention! I’m also going to need some of those coozies, so please send some my way. Pinning, of course!
Obviously, I cannot eat this recipe. But I DO LOVE the pairing of spinach and artichokes. Artichokes are just the best thing EVER!!!!!! Gosh, I love those suckers, especially if they’re soaking in some high quality OLIVE OIL for like 5 months prior to me eating them! ha! When I was in Italy, I had some like that and pretty much died from happiness!
I love a great risotto! Anything paired with cheese is a winner in my book….and then a little spinach and artichoke too!
Did you read my mind, Karrie? I’ve been craving for some (by some I mean a lot, of course) risotto, and apparently I’m going to make one soon. But this one looks and sounds fantastic (not to mention the fact it makes me crave for risotto even stronger). I glad you made this one instead of that dip although that did sounds delicious too…great, now I want it too:)
What a great shopping cart you had, there! Love each item, especially the parmigiano (real parmigiano reggiano, aged 24 months, yay!) and the champagne . You have me craving some of this risotto, now! Loreto makes an amazing spinach artichoke dip, I will ask him to make some and then have it with a risotto! Thank you for the inspiration, my friend!
Some of the best things come out of intense cravings right!!! This risotto sounds so comforting, and just right for a cheesy craving day