Mushroom and Italian Sausage Risotto (wine free) (regular rice)

There are few dishes that get me more excited than a good risotto or Italian mac and cheese if you will.  lol It's rich, creamy, silky, and smooth.  Everything you want in life when it comes to food.  Add in some great mushrooms and Italian sausage and you have a real winner winner risotto dinner.

Risotto is a labor of love.  You are looking at 30-40 minutes of constant care, but it's 100% worth it.  And while there are no REAL shortcuts around that we will busts some myths in the tips below so you will definitely want to check those out. This  Mushroom and Italian Sausage Risotto is honestly one of my VERY FAVORITE meals so let me show you how I make it! 

TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE:

Q:  Do I have to use wine in my risotto? It's not something I have on hand. 

A:  No.  As I did in this recipe you can swap the wine for apple cider vinegar. 

Q: What if I need more broth? Will I need to purchase 2 boxes?

A:  No.  If you run out of broth before the risotto is finished, simple use water.

Q: Do I have to use arborio rice?

A:  No.  While traditionally you would use arborio rice, I usually use regular rice, but you can use almost any grain.  The technique is the same it's just the cooking times and liquid amounts that will vary.  

Q: Is there a faster way to make risotto?  I love it, but i just don't have the time to stand there and baby it. 

A:  If you have an instant pot you can make it in there.  You can do everything on the sauté setting until it is time to cook the rice.  You will add 2 cups of broth, make sure the lid is on and set to SEALING, and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release. Give it a stir and add the parmesan cheese.  I don't like the texture of this method as well, but I have used it in a pinch and it's pretty good.  

Q:  Can this be made VEGAN/VEGETARIAN?  

A:  Easily.  For example in this pic I used vegan Italian sausage by Impossible meat, vegetable broth, and vegan parmesan.