Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There are some delicious rice and risotto inspired concoctions on store shelves today that manufacturers have offered for anyone who loves their rice to be covered with sauce, toppings or various condiments. But very often it would seem that tossing a half a bag of wheat flour into that mix seemed like a good idea to whoever was crafting that recipe. 

So this has meant a lot of label reading and much disappointment as many of these prepackaged foods have had wheat listed somewhere down the list of ingredients.

One exception to the wheat rule seems to be a company operating under the name Lundberg, which creates a variety of different types of risotto (and other rice-like entrees) with varieties of risotto that include flavors such as Parmesan, garlic and butternut squash (among many others). Most of what the Lundberg folks sell seems to be gluten free and usually says so right on the box.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

And out of all those varieties of risotto that the company has avaialble, the Creamy Parmesan is recommended as a good introduction to the company's products as risotto does require a little more care and tending during the cooking process than rice, which can usually be left and forgotten on the stove and turn out just fine. Risotto needs someone paying a little attention to it or the overall cooking process might result in something burned or in something less firm that might otherwise be best for this type of food.

The calories and nutritional content of the Creamy Parmesan variety is pretty respectable and the company makes an effort to say on the box that they have some sort of eco-friendly farming involved in the creation of the product. 

One of the only drawbacks to making risotto is that it's a bit temperamental as far as the finished product is concerned and it's really easy to over-cook or under cook the risotto if you don't take the time to saute it in the beginning. This author definitely forgot to saute at the beginning of her Creamy Parmesan risotto experience.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

If you do happen to forget to saute the risotto or you end up with a finished meal that's a tad soupy, don't worry. You can let it sit for a while and it should get a better consistency after a few minutes. It's also recommended that some additional Parmesan be tossed onto the end result as well, especially if the risotto is going to serve as the main course of a meal. The texture and flavor enhancement offered by the extra Parmesan sprinkled on the top is a tasty addition. I used grated Parmesan for my risotto, but I'm sure shredded would work fine as well.

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Lundberg Risotto Creamy Parmesan Report Card

The Good Stuff

This particular flavor - Creamy Parmesan - is one of the subtler flavors the company makes and is fairly tasty either as a main dish or as a side for a meal that might have a chicken type of main course. 

This flavor in particular is recommended over the garlic varieties as the seasoning for the garlic risotto is quite strong. The creamy Parmesan flavor is much smoother and would go well as a side dish without overwhelming the main course or becoming too heavy for something that's just a side.

What Could be Better

It would be nice to see the company make a bigger version for a family to eat. Despite the words "gluten free" being stamped on the front of the box, this is likely something that anyone in the family would enjoy whether they had a gluten issue or not. The price is also somewhat higher than other simple boxed rice-like entrees. But that seems to be so common with anything that has "gluten-free" stamped somewhere on the box.

Tips for Great Risotto

Back off the water just slightly or it will be a tad more soupy than might be considered the best presentation of risotto. And it's important to remember that risotto is somewhat of a different beast from rice. Follow the directions on the box or you'll get soup.