If this time of year your days aren't filled with a variety of holiday appetizers, charcuterie boards, and finger foods, then it's time to make a change! Around here we are all about having plenty of snacks during the holidays. Even this year while we are having socially distanced gatherings, or virtual celebrations, it's important to still have all the things around that make the holidays truly special - and we of course mean food and drinks! And that means Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragù Phyllo Cup Bites!
We definitely have a ton of bubbly flowing during the holidays and Prosecco pairs so nicely with a variety of appetizers and desserts. For this pairing we chose to make a mouth-watering bite that will keep you coming back to the platter all evening! These Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragu Phyllo Cup Bites are perfect for the season or all year around.
How to Make Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragù Phyllo Cup Bites
These phyllo cup bites combine a few of our favorite things, and sharing a few of our favorite things is most appropriate this time of the year! These things include parmesan risotto and mushrooms cooked in wine!
Let's break this dish down...
Parmesan Risotto
Risotto is an amazing dish – absolutely delectable if cooked correctly. But every time (I mean EVERY time) I make it there is extra. That is probably because I love it so much! I make more than enough but that’s OK…it is tremendous the next day!
There are many ways to use it as a “leftover,” but I think we found the ultimate way to use risotto – and these Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragù Phyllo Cup Bites are so good I’d make risotto just to have this dish! But just eating them on their own is half of the experience.
What cheese should I use in the risotto?
The risotto for this dish is really a basic cheese risotto. And by “cheese” I mean Parmigiano-Reggiano – the real stuff. This cheese is the king of cheeses and by no means “basic,” but this risotto is absolutely perfect if the real cheese is used.
Try to find the real stuff, most grocery stores carry it, but if you cannot, go ahead and buy any block of parmesan. Just do us a favor and avoid that powdery, crumbly, dry stuff that comes in a green plastic container - you all know what we are talking about here. Don't do it!
What type of rice should I buy for risotto?
For the rice, I have a strong opinion as to what is the best, but the second best is a close (and widely available) second, so it is safe to say, you’ll be able to find what you need.
- Carnaroli rice is the absolute best risotto rice you can use. When I see it available in a store, I buy some if I need it or not! (Amazon has it, so that is really not an issue…).
- Arborio rice is a close second and most commonly used for risotto, but I can assure you that the texture of Carnaroli is better.
Tips for making the risotto
Making the risotto is not as hard as many people think, but it definitely isn’t a “fire and forget” dish. It must be stirred constantly as you cook it. This prevents the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan or burning. This also helps to ensure even cooking and absorption of the liquids by the rice.
Additionally, you need to add stock, we use chicken or vegetable stock, 1-2 ladles full at a time, until the rice cooks completely. This takes about 20-30 minutes on medium-low heat.
Unlike so many other rice dishes, the starch is your friend. I’ve heard more than one person ask how much cream was put in the dish to make it that creamy. None is the answer – the starch in the rice does all the work and some added butter intensifies the richness.
Once the rice is cooked completely (it should be slightly al dente, meaning it will have a slight bite and shouldn't be crunchy or too mushy), you then add a little bit of butter and the parmesan cheese. And Voila! At this point, the risotto can be covered and you can remove it from the heat until you are ready to eat it, or use it to make these Phyllo Cup Bites.
What is Phyllo?
Now to the phyllo (or filo). This is a thin flaky dough that is often layered and used for desserts or pastries. The Greek word means "leaf" and the dough is made without incorporating a fat (think butter) into it, giving it a distinct texture.
The process of making phyllo from scratch is akin to making homemade croissants or homemade puff pastry in our opinion. Yes, a lot of work and technique. Not that we are against doing this part from scratch (knock yourself out, by all means).
Most grocery stores have quite tasty premade phyllo cups in the frozen section of the grocery store. We prefer these over making them from scratch. These little cups are the perfect size for appetizers and are ready in minutes in an oven/toaster oven.
Let’s just assume you do the same, but if you are a pastry chef, an awesome baker or very adventurous, then make your cups large enough to hold about a tablespoon+ of risotto.
The Mushroom Ragù
Risotto in a phyllo cup isn’t enough (well, it is, but…) for an amazing bite-sized appetizer. The topping to this that makes it sing is a mushroom ragù. Thinly sliced mushrooms sautéed in olive oil, butter, garlic, parsley, and some white wine, then cooked down to be an ultimate topping to this appetizer…perfection.
I’ve served this to numerous people who range from “I really don’t like mushrooms” to “I won’t eat mushrooms” and they all loved this. No joke! When someone says “I don’t like…” then I feel personally challenged to fix their inner 6-year-old (unless they are actually a 6-year-old, then I let it go).
Trust us, this is amazing. Paired with an amazing glass of Prosecco and you have the perfect cocktail appetizer. Buon appetito!
Enjoy!
We hope you enjoyed this month's food and wine pairing for the holiday season! We hope you give our tasty Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragù Phyllo Cup Bites a try!
If you try these out, leave us a comment and rate the recipe below. And if you make these, share your photos with us by tagging us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!
Check out more of our popular recipes below:
- Coq au Vin – Chicken in Red Wine
- Saltimbocca alla Romana
- Crunchy Chicken with White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce
- Parmesan Peppercorn Mashed Potatoes
📖 Recipe
Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragù Phyllo Cup Bites Recipe
Ingredients
Risotto
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small onion - chopped fine
- 1 tbs unsalted butter
- ¼ cup dry white wine (pinot grigio would be best, but any dry white you like will work)
- 1 cup risotto rice (carnaroli or arborio)
- 1 tbs additional unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (or more) grated Parmesan
- Parsley to garnish (optional)
For the Mushrooms
- 1 ½ cup cremini (small brown) mushrooms sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup dry white wine
- pinch of salt and pepper
- parsley for garnish (or thyme leaves - optional)
For the Phyllo Cups
- 2 packages premade Phyllo cups (we use Athens Brand Phyllo cups) - 24 cups total
Instructions
COOK THE RISOTTO
- Warm the chicken stock in a large enough saucepan over medium low heat. Keep at a very warm/hot temperature below boiling.
- Heat a large, deep skillet or pan over medium heat and then add olive oil.
- Add onion and reduce heat to medium low. Sauté until onion is translucent without browning the onion.
- Add the first 1 Tbs butter until melted and increase heat to medium
- Add rice to skillet and coat the grains of rice with the butter. Saute for a minute or so
- Add the wine and cook until pan is starting to dry out and wine is absorbed. Stir often with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon so rice doesn't stick to the pan.
- Once wine is absorbed, start adding the hot stock from the saucepan to the rice one ladle at a time (about ½ cup). Stir often.
- Continue adding stock as it gets absorbed by the rice a ladle at a time. Continue stirring throughout this process.
- After about ⅔ of the stock has been added and absorbed, taste the rice - you want the texture to be firm but done - not mushy.
- You may not need all of the stock. If you need more stock and run out, you can use hot water to add to the rice.
- Once the rice is done, remove from heat and stir in remaining butter, salt and pepper and parmesan.
- Cover with a lid and set aside as you make the mushrooms.
MUSHROOM RAGÙ
- Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot add olive oil.
- Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Then add mushrooms, parsley, and butter and stir to combine. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add white wine and stir. Cook until white wine is almost completely reduced and soaked into mushrooms (approximately 3-5 minutes).
- Cover and reduce heat to low, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes. While mushrooms cook prep the phyllo cups. Once done, remove from heat and set aside.
PREP THE PHYLLO CUPS
- Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 350°
- Assemble Phyllo cups on a baking tray and bake until crisp (if baked from frozen - 3-5 minutes; or 1-2 minutes just to warm if pre-baked)
ASSEMBLE THE PHYLLO CUPS
- Spoon a small amount of risotto into each phyllo cup - about 1 tbsp
- Top with the warm mushroom mix and garnish with thyme leaves and parsley
- Shave extra Parmesan on top of the cups and serve.
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