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    Home » MAINS » RISOTTO

    Creamy Blue Cheese Risotto with Sweet Potatoes

    Published: October 17, 2020 · Updated: July 25, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 20 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    We are obsessed with risottos and make them most weeks, especially as the weather starts getting colder. There is something extremely satisfying about both cooking and eating good risottos: the continuous stirring, seeing the dry rice transform into something creamy and exciting… This Blue Cheese Risotto with Sweet Potatoes is certainly in our Top 3 best risottos ever made!

    Take Me To:
    • A Delicious Take On Risotto
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • What Blue Cheese Is Best To Use In Sweet Potato Risotto?
    • How To Make The Creamiest Risotto?
    • Method
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Other Sweet Potato Recipes
    • Other Delicious Vegetarian Risotto Recipes
    • Recipe Card

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    A Delicious Take On Risotto

    This creamy Blue Cheese Risotto combines some of our favourite flavours: sweet potato and blue cheese. Traditionally, risottos are made with parmesan, but we decided to change things up with some even more bold flavours! Sweet potato risotto is a perfect canvas to add salty and creamy stilton and crunchy walnuts to, without overshadowing the rest of the flavours!

    Blue cheese risotto picked up on the end of the fork with the rest of it in a black bowl.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Seven main ingredients (plus olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper) make a wonderful most delicious risotto!

    • brown onion: can be substituted with white onion or a couple of small shallots.
    • garlic: can be replaced with garlic paste.
    • walnuts: use pecan nuts if you’ve run out of walnuts.
    • blue cheese: we use Stilton in this sweet potato risotto recipe, but see more suggestions in the section below.
    • sweet potato: about 125g per portion. Use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for this stilton risotto.
    • vegetable stock: or chicken stock.
    • risotto rice: we recommend Arborio or Carnaroli rice.
    Ingredients for Blue Cheese Risotto on a wooden chopping board.

    What Blue Cheese Is Best To Use In Sweet Potato Risotto?

    Which blue cheese, you ask? It’s completely up to you! But here are a few things to note.

    I personally prefer firmer and milder blue cheese, like Stilton!. It was sweet undernotes that resonate with the flavours of sweet potato, and it doesn’t completely melt into the risotto. That means you get little pockets of flavour every few mouthfuls!

    However, if you like things creamy and stronger tasting, go with Gorgonzola or Roquefort. These have a softer texture and will melt into the rice, creating the creamiest Blue cheese risotto you’ll ever taste! Note though, that Gorgonzola and Roquefort taste stronger, so only use them if you know you’re cooking for blue cheese lovers!

    How To Make The Creamiest Risotto?

    This Creamy Blue Cheese risotto is slightly different in the sense that you will be adding Stilton instead of parmesan. This, of course, helps the creaminess in itself. However, good risotto has a few critical rules that should be adhered to for best results:

    • Use the right Rice for Risotto: Risotto rice needs to be short, starchy and able to withstand long cooking time. Some of the widely available varieties are Arborio and Carnaroli rice (and out of the two, we prefer Carnaroli). Both types of rice are perfect for slow long cooking, letting the rice infuse with all the flavours of stock without losing their shape.
    • Toasting the Rice is crucial: toasting the rice in a pan before adding any stock is an important step in any risotto preparation. The process seals the surface of the rice, helping it preserve its shape and retain the typical al dente texture.
    • Keep the Stock Hot: Put your stock in a pan and keep it on low heat. This ensures an even cooking temperature. If your stock cools down, it will prolong the cooking time and your rice may become soggy in the process.
    • Add Stock Little By Little: Not adding all the stock at the same time allows the rice to release its starch at a slow rate, making the risotto creamy. Another advantage of adding the stock gradually is being able to control how much of the stock is actually needed before the rice is cooked.

    Read more about how to make the best risotto.

    Method

    Start by toasting your walnuts in a small frying pan, but keep an eye on them. It’s devastating when you forget about them for a few seconds and they burn, tasting bitter and unpalatable as a result.

    Wash your sweet potatoes thoroughly (no need to peel) and cut them up into 1cm cubes. Spread them into a single layer on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sweet potatoes need quite a bit of salt to balance out the sweetness, so be generous, but also keep in mind the type of blue cheese you’re using. Stilton or Roquefort are examples of extremely salty cheeses, but if you’re using Danish Blue or Gorgonzola, season your sweet potato generously. Cook your potatoes at 200°C for about half an hour.

    Sweet potato cubes spread on a baking tray lined with foil.

    Meanwhile, make 800ml of stock. I use vegetable stock for almost all of my recipes, but other types should work well too. Keep it warm on the lowest heat possible.

    Add a tablespoon of olive oil (or any other oil that’s not too strong tasting) to a large pan, add diced onion with a pinch of salt and fry for around 4 minutes. Chuck in the garlic and risotto rice and fry for another minute.

    Add 2 ladles of stock to your rice and stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula until fully absorbed. Keep adding the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring continuously until all the stock has been absorbed and your rice is cooked al dente (with a slight texture). I keep tasting the risotto towards the end every couple of minutes to make sure I don’t overcook the rice.

    When potatoes are cooked and slightly crispy on the outside, remove the risotto heat. Mix in ¾ of sweet potatoes into the risotto, stirring in gently to keep the potatoes intact. Crumble and stir in 70g (half) of the stilton into the risotto.

    Spoon the creamy blue cheese risotto into 2 bowls or plates. Serve with the rest of the sweet potatoes, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts on top. Decorate with herbs for a gorgeous colour lift!

    A bowlful of blue cheese risotto with sweet potatoes held by two hands with a fork in one of them too.

    Recipe FAQs

    What Cheese To Use If You Don’t Like Blue Cheese?

    You can substitute blue cheese with a good amount of mature Cheddar or Parmesan. Alternatively, Taleggio cheese makes a very creamy risotto!

    Is Risotto Eaten With A Spoon or A Fork?

    It seems there is no agreement on how to properly eat risotto! But the general theme is that if you’re serving it on a plate or a shallow bowl, eat it with a fork. If it’s in a deep bowl, a soup spoon can be used!

    Other Sweet Potato Recipes

    If you have some sweet potatoes left after making this delicious Stilton Risotto, make other exciting meals for the week! Why not try:

    • Sweet Potato & Kale Filo Pastry Tart
    • Chinese-Spiced Beetroot & Sweet Potato Salad
    • Goats’ Cheese & Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries
    • All-American Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan & Pretzel Crumble Top

    Other Delicious Vegetarian Risotto Recipes

    Did you enjoy our Stilton Risotto With Sweet Potatoes? If so, we’d appreciate it if you could leave a comment below and let us know! And if you’re ready for other vegetarian risotto recipes, here are some of our favourites:

    • Risotto Verde (Pea and Asparagus Risotto)
    • Leek Risotto with Poached Eggs
    • Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Pecan & Garlic Drizzle
    • Sweet Chilli Risotto With Peppers

    Recipe Card

    blue cheese risotto with sweet potatoes in a large lack textured bowl.

    Blue Cheese Risotto with Sweet Potatoes

    Melting blue cheese paired with creamy risotto, sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes and toasted walnuts, make it one of the most flavoursome risottos in our repertoire. Ideal for any blue cheese lover!
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine Italian, Worldwide
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 690 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 large brown onion chopped finely
    • 2 garlic clove chopped finely
    • 30 g walnuts
    • 140 g blue cheese we use Stilton
    • 1 large sweet potato (about 250g) cubed into 1cm pieces
    • 800 ml vegetable stock
    • 160 g risotto rice
    • olive oil

    Instructions
     

    • Break up walnuts into smaller pieces and toast in a small pan until slightly browned. Tip out onto a plate to prevent further browning and set aside.
    • Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan whilst you cube your sweet potatoes. Tip the potatoes into a large baking tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them in the oven for around 30 minutes until they are soft on the inside and starting to crisp up.
    • Meanwhile, make 800ml of stock and keep it warm on the lowest heat possible.
    • Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan, add your diced onion with a pinch of salt and fry for around 4 minutes. Add the garlic and risotto rice and fry for another minute.
    • Add 2 ladles of stock to your rice and stir with a wooden spoon until fully absorbed. Keep adding the stock, one ladle at a time, stirring continuously until all the stick has been absorbed and your rice is cooked al dente (with a slight texture).
    • When your potatoes are cooked, remove your risotto from heat and incorporate ¾ of sweet potatoes into the risotto. Crumble and stir in 70g (half) of your blue cheese into the risotto.
    • Serve with the rest of sweet potatoes, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts on top.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 24gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 829mgPotassium: 615mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 13029IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 411mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Blue Cheese Risotto, Creamy Blue Cheese Risotto, Risotto, Risotto With Sweet Potatoes, Stilton Risotto, Sweet Potato Risotto
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Pin For Pinterest.

    More RISOTTO

    • Creamy Smoked Salmon Risotto With Lemon And Creme Fraiche
    • Prawn and Chorizo Risotto
    • Sweet Chilli Risotto With Peppers
    • Risotto Verde (Pea and Asparagus Risotto)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy

      December 01, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      We love risotto as well! My husband is a big fan of blue cheese and I love sweet potatoes, so this one is right up our alley!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        December 01, 2020 at 5:18 pm

        Thanks, Amy! A perfect risotto for blue cheese lovers 🙂

        Reply
    2. Alison Saalbach Corey

      June 21, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      Wow, Fantastic Recipe!! Thanks, Ieva for sharing this!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        June 21, 2021 at 7:28 pm

        You are most welcome, Alison!

        Reply
    3. Jess

      October 06, 2021 at 9:21 am

      5 stars
      This has become my favourite risotto! I just love the flavours and textures and I think everyone should try it. 😀 Thank you for the lovely recipe.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        October 07, 2021 at 6:33 am

        It’s our absolute favourite too! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Charla

      November 30, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe with some decent substitutes. I think I am going to try the pecans as I’m out of walnuts.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 30, 2021 at 6:28 pm

        Pecans work brilliantly in this recipe! We often use them too 🙂

        Reply
    5. Katherine

      June 22, 2022 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      I love the big bold flavors and richness in this risotto!

      Reply
    6. Gina

      August 01, 2022 at 3:10 pm

      5 stars
      Love trying new risotto recipes and this one was truly amazing! I can’t even tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed it!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        August 03, 2022 at 10:27 am

        Thanks so much! It is truly one of our all-time favourites! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Kushigalu

      September 13, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      Love the combination of ingredients. So delicious. thanks for sharing

      Reply
    8. Liz

      December 06, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      MY husband thought he didn’t like blue cheese until he tried this risotto! Lol it was so good!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        December 06, 2022 at 4:31 pm

        That’s so funny, Liz! I have converted a friend of mine too with this risotto! 😀

        Reply
    9. Jon

      January 30, 2023 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      The best risotto! Just try it! It’s a genius flavour combination!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        January 31, 2023 at 6:26 am

        Jon, thank you!

        Reply
    10. Anonymous

      February 02, 2023 at 8:24 pm

      5 stars
      I love love loved this recipe! Blue cheese is my favorite thing ever, and adding it to risotto is absolutely genius. Thanks for this great idea!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 03, 2023 at 2:04 pm

        You are most welcome! And thanks for such lovely feedback 💗

        Reply
    11. Traci

      March 05, 2023 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      You had me at blue cheese LOL. This recipe is so easy and delicious. Thanks for the helpful tips!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 06, 2023 at 2:33 pm

        Thanks, Traci! Glad you liked it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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