Mushroom and Leek Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken Thighs

There's only one thing better than a hearty bowl of creamy risotto on a chilly night, a hearty bowl of creamy risotto on a chilly night made extra creamy with seasonal pumpkin and topped with juicy flavorful chicken thighs.

Mushroom and leeks are a dynamic duo in this recipe. The mushrooms are hearty enough to maintain their integrity in a heavily cooked recipe like risotto and the leeks give fantastic flavor while melting into the rice. I use arborio rice for my risotto's and feel you can never have enough liquid, the more liquid and longer it simmers the creamier it is so take your time with this one!!

I made all of this in my dutch oven. I like it because it holds a lot but it is also a great pot for covering and letting it all simmer together. I used chicken thighs in this recipe because they don't require much seasoning to bring in huge flavor. Since chicken thighs are higher in fat they don't dry out as easily as chicken breasts meaning they are easier to cook. It's really hard to overcook a chicken thigh, you'd really have to kill it!

Mushroom and Leek Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken Thighs

4 Servings | Cook time: 45 minutes

Notes: A creamy dreamy risotto absolutely flavor PACKED from mushrooms to leeks to the seasonal favorite pumpkin. We love this topped with juicy chicken thighs but a big bowl with crusty bread would be soo satisfying too.

Ingredients:

• 1 10oz container baby Bella sliced mushrooms

• 2 tsp olive oil, divided

• 1.5lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

• 1 shallot, diced

• 1/2 cup onions, diced

• 2 leeks, diced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 cup Arborio rice

• 1 tsp butter

• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth

• 2-3 cups water

• 1 cup pumpkin purée

• 2 tbsp parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat Dutch oven or large pot with lid over medium. Add mushrooms in a single layer on the dry skillet. Heat until they start to release water. Toss and continue to sauté until nearly all of water have been sizzled off. Place mushrooms aside on a paper towel. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water.

2. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear chicken in olive oil for about 2 minutes per side.

3. Remove chicken and set aside. Add remaining olive oil along with onions, shallots, leeks and mushrooms. Sauté about 2 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sauté about a minute or until fragrant.

4. Add dry Arborio rice to the pot along with butter to toast the rice. Toast about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow half of the broth to absorb before adding remaining chicken broth 1 cup at a time, allowing the majority of the water to absorb in between. Take your time with this process, let the rice soak up the broth!

5. Add remaining 2 cups of water and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the pot atop the rice. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, cover and turn down to low. Allow to simmer covered for 15 minutes.

6. Remove lid and set chicken aside. There should still be some excess liquid with the rice. If the rice is not yet soft and creamy add another cup of water and simmer the rice another 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally until the majority of the liquid has absorbed.

7. Stir the pumpkin purée into the mixture until well combined. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan.

8. Serve warm topped with chicken thighs and extra fresh parmesan.

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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.