I am partnering with my friends at RiceSelect today to cook up the most fragrant, savory holiday risotto dish today with their classic Arborio rice — it’s my go-to for risotto dishes! I made this risotto dish with browned sausage, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and pops of flavor from the finely chopped dried cranberries, fresh sage, and orange zest sprinkled on top. It’s bursting with of seasonal flavors that will fill your kitchen with delicious notes if you’re entertaining for the holidays. 
RiceSelect rice is one of my pantry staples, and their Arborio rice is high in starch, giving the dish its signature silky texture and al dente bite (the texture is my favorite part of a risotto). It works as a perfect canvas for highlighting seasonal holiday flavors. I also am a real sucker for their packaging, I love the indented handles that make it easy to pour ingredients, and they’re made of 100% BPA-free plastic (I did a cute DIY project with them earlier in the year – see it here!).
A risotto is a great dish to make for holiday entertaining because it feels elevated from an everyday meal, but the basic ingredients are quite simple. A good quality rice, some flavorful chicken stock, and a mixture of “add-ins” like sausage, herbs, and other aromatics that will impart extra flavor and texture. You can adapt the flavors to the seasons and highlight whatever is fresh, local and fits your tastes! 
My favorite part about this dish? You can make it all in one pan, use it for serving, and have the quickest and easiest clean up after your meal so you can get back to the party! Whenever I’m planning a holiday menu, I’m always looking for ways to streamline dishes, serve ware, and clean up, and this recipe fits the bill! 
Scroll down for this tasty holiday risotto recipe, and find out more about RiceSelect products at riceselect.com
- Olive Oil
- 3-4 Italian Sausage Links, casings removed
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 Cup of Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp of Butter
- 1 ½ Cups of RiceSelect Arborio Rice
- 4 Cups of Chicken Stock, warmed
- ½ Cup of Heavy Cream
- ¼ Cup of Dried Cranberries, chopped
- 2 Tbsp of Fresh Sage, finely chopped
- ½ an Orange, zested
- Salt and Pepper
- In a large, wide pan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil. Add crumbled sausage, onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook until the sausage is browned, and the onions and mushrooms are soft and beginning to caramelize.
- Push the sausage, onions, and mushrooms to the side of the pan and add the butter to the center deglaze the pan. Then add in the arborio rice and toast for 1-2 minutes.
- Begin to add in the warm chicken stock to the pan, one cup at a time, stirring frequently until it’s absorbed. Repeat until all the chicken stock is added to the rice and absorbed.
- During the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the heavy cream and cook until absorbed; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Please note: This post was created in paid partnership with RiceSelect. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site!
Can you please indicate the number of servings?
It’s about 4 servings as a main course, but 6-8 servings as a side dish. Enjoy!