Sweet potato, Apple, Bacon Sage Brown Butter Risotto

That was a mouth full, and believe me, it's just as good as it sounds. I apologize that the pictures for this aren't my usual but without natural light food photos do not look as good as they could be. My 2 month old was also tired of me cooking so that is what you get pictures wise. Pictures are still good to show an example.

Today was crazy, full of coding the new look for the blog, and seriously enjoying the name!

I've made a Lobster white truffle oil quinoa risotto almost a year ago in the Fall, and it seems to be a trend with me. I love a nice risotto, one that goes with my fall obsession is even better. Who doesn't love warm apples, sweet potatoes and bacon? Lets get started and hopefully this will be as much of a hit in your home as it was mine.

Don't skip on the water towards the end as if you add too much stock, you will end up with very salty risotto because remember, you're adding bacon as well!

Ingredients: 

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
yellow onion (amount of your choosing)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/3 cup dry white wine (cooking wine if that's all you have)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
water as needed to the rice

Brown butter: 

3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 pink lady apples, sliced and chopped well
pinch of cinnamon and cardamom to taste
1/4 tablespoon sage
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C), cut sweet potato into large slices, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, pepper, nutmeg and whatever other seasonings you would like to it and toss well. Place on foiled baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and mash until almost pureed.

(You could cook the bacon in the oven or on the stove top now. Place bacon in food processor and once in fine pieces set aside)

Heat a saucepan and on medium-low heat add vegetable stock and heat until hot. If it boils turn it down.

In another saucepan, add olive oil, and butter (not the brown butter) then add onions, and cook until soft, then add minced garlic and cook for a few seconds. Increase heat slightly and add rice, stirring to combine. Cook for about 4 minutes, continuing to stir as the rice begins to toast. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in wine. Stir until most of the wine is absorbed into rice. Add in 1/3 cup of the warm vegetable stock and repeat the process and stir until the stock is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Towards the end, you will add water to cover the brown rice and cook until desired consistency. My rice took about 50 minutes total as normal for brown rice to cook. Add more liquid if needed.

Once the rice is cooked, reduce heat to low and stir in the mashed sweet potato. Really stir so that it is well combined. Now, add butter to a small pan, along with the sage and cook until the butter is beginning to brown - cook on low and add apples until soft, combine this to the risotto.

Finally, add bacon and serve while warm!

We had this dish with pan seared pork chops and it was delicious! What is your favorite fall meal? If you made this, what would you add or change?