This baked sage and veggie risotto with cheats pork meatballs is sponsored by The British Sausage, Ham & Bacon Co.

When it comes to weeknight meals, we often overlook risotto because of all that stirring!  But this Baked sage and veggie risotto with cheats pork meatballs means you can have dinner in the oven while you’re doing homework, and the million other things that you need to do of an evening.

I love meatballs, but again, they take so much effort. Made using butcher quality sausages, these cheats pork meatballs mean they don’t have to be a weekend thing.  Another great thing about this dinner?  Yep, you should have enough for the kids to take as lunch the next day.

It also freezes spectacularly, which is unlike most risottos. This means you can double batch and freeze. So really, what’s your excuse for not making risotto this week?

Why turn sausages into meatballs?  Well, The British Sausage Co. has done the hard work for us binding the meat together in their Irish Pork Sausages, so it’s super simple to make meatballs from the sausages.  This risotto would be equally as delicious with their Cumberland Pork Sausages if you want an extra burst of flavour (they have sage in them too)!

The British Sausage, Ham & Bacon Co. have an amazing range – all made in Australia with Australian meat, using authentic traditional recipes.  I love this because when we lived in the UK I became quite addicted to their smallgoods and sausages.  The British Sausage, Ham & Bacon Co. range includes ham, bacon and sausages, so there is something for everyone.  I got my sausages from Coles, they are available in different supermarkets depending on your location, so check out where to get them here.

Getting so many veggies into the risotto means that you have ticked all the nutritional boxes for a great family dinner.  I find leaving the carrot, broccoli and spinach out until just towards the end of cooking means they don’t end up soggy.

Do I need to convince you further? Well, here goes (and it’s a true story) master 6 loved this risotto!  And normally he only eats risotto under duress. But this baked sage and veggie risotto with cheats pork meatballs got a thumbs up on so many levels and has become a firm family favourite.

Baked sage and veggie risotto with cheats pork meatballs

Yield: 2 adults and 2 kids plus lunch the next day

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Rest time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Risotto that's easy to make on a WEEKDAY? This baked sage and veggie risotto with cheats pork meatballs is a one pot, hands off dinner!

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Ingredients

• • 2 tbsps butter
• • 2 tbsps olive oil
• • 1 red onion, finely diced
• • 1 packet of The British Sausage Co. Irish Pork Sausages
• • 2 cups risotto rice, carnaroli or arborio short grain rice
• • 5 cups chicken stock, warmed
• • 150 grams baby spinach
• • 2 carrots, grated
• • 1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
• • 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• • 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
2. To make the meatballs, peel the skin off each sausage and then cut into little logs. Roll into balls. They are now meatballs!
3. Place the meatballs in the pan with 2 tbsps olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside.
4. Place the butter, 2 tbsps of the sage and the onion in the dish- bake 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice and stock. Stir through.
6. Cover with a tight fitting lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, add the meatballs.
8. Bake a further 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and add the baby spinach, grated carrot and broccoli. Cook for 5 more minutes.
10. Add the parmesan cheese and extra sage.
11. Stir through, leave to sit covered for 10 minutes before serving.
12. Serves 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 kids plus lunch for the next day!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: a bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g

This nutrition information is generated using software. Please check with a nutritionist for any specific questions.