Cheddar Risotto

I love risotto. It's like the cheesy rice I used to make as a kid, just all grown up. Just about every risotto recipe out there calls for at least 1/4 cup of wine or a bottle of beer, depending on the recipe, but with the little guy on the way, my risotto is strictly a virgin affair. Nevertheless, this recipe, based on this one from Made by Melissa, is fantastic. We added 3/4 cup of peas to give it some green and make us feel like we were being healthy, but feel free to add or subtract veggies as you see fit!1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 small onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
5.5 cups of chicken broth
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
3/4 cup green peas

Pour chicken broth into saucepan and warm.

Heat large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat just until butter is melted. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until union is soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until opaque, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice.

(At this point, if you're making risotto with alcohol, deglaze the pan with either 1/3 cup of dry white wine or a 12 oz. bottle of beer. Stir until the liquid is just about gone and the alcohol is burned off. Then continue on with the rest of the recipe.)

Turn heat back to medium-low and add the chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring until liquid is gone before adding another ladle. (You may not use all of the broth.) Risotto should be creamy and slightly al dente.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses and peas. (If you prefer it sharper, use more cheddar; milder, more mozzarella. It's up to you!)