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This slow cooker Butternut Squash Risotto is an easier and healthier way to make risotto. It skips all the butter and cream and uses butternut squash to make it creamy, but it’s only 150 calories with 4 grams of protein per side dish serving.
Quick Summary: Butternut Squash Risotto
- Why Make This Recipe: This sage and butternut squash risotto is creamy and flavorful, but takes less work than a regular risotto because the slow cooker does all the cooking.
- Nutrition: 150 calories, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber
- Diet: Low-calorie, Gluten-free
- Time: 20 minutes of prep time, 4 hours of cook time
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Best for: Side dish for a dinner party, holiday side dish
- Tip: Every slow cooker is different, so the first time you make this recipe, monitor your risotto after 2.5 hours to make sure you don’t overcook it.
If you love risotto, but you don’t love standing at the stove and stirring for 40 minutes, this crockpot butternut squash risotto is perfect for you. Plus, it’s only 150 calories per serving because it skips the butter and cream in typical risotto recipes and relies on the creaminess of the squash. The combination of butternut squash, sage, and parmesan cheese makes this an ideal side dish for the holidays or with a flavorful dinner.
If you like healthy side dish recipes, you will love my Brussels sprouts with bacon and this healthy cauliflower gratin!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Stirring Needed: The crockpot slowly cooks the arborio rice, which eliminates the need to continuously stir it. The risotto still turns out rich and creamy, but with less work on your part.
- Skip the Butter and Cream: Make this healthier risotto and skip the fatty butter and cream. The butternut squash turns creamy as it cooks down and eliminates the need for excess fats.
- Only 20 Minutes of Hands-On Cooking: After 20 minutes of dicing vegetables and sautéing onion, you’re ready to add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and let it do the work!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: Cube fresh butternut squash into small ½-inch pieces to ensure they cook through. You can also save time by purchasing pre-cut squash at the grocery store. Use leftover squash to make a delicious butternut squash broccoli soup.
- Arborio Rice: This plump white rice is the key to a proper risotto and can’t be substituted with long grain rice or any other type of rice. Don’t rinse it before cooking because the starches on the outside help make the risotto creamy.
- Vegetable Broth: Use a low-sodium vegetable broth so you can control the salt levels.
- Parmesan: Freshly shredded parmesan melts smoother and adds a delicious flavor to the risotto.
- Sage: Rubbed sage is different from dried sage because it is milder and less bitter. If you need to use ground sage instead, be sure to use half the amount because it has a bolder flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Make Sure It’s Vegetarian: Did you know that parmesan cheese isn’t always vegetarian? Some brands use animal rennet in their Parmesan. If making this dish vegetarian is important to you, be sure to use a vegetarian brand!
- Try Different Veggies: Instead of butternut squash, try this risotto with pumpkin or sweet potato for a similarly creamy texture and fall flavor. You can also add spinach or kale to your risotto in the last 30 minutes of cook time.
- Add Protein: Turn this side dish into a full meal and add protein! Stir in some cooked shredded chicken or cooked turkey sausage to increase the protein. For a vegetarian option, add white beans to your risotto in the last 30-45 minutes, so they cook but don’t turn mushy.
How to Make Butternut Squash Risotto
This crockpot butternut squash risotto takes all of the work out of making risotto! The slow cooker does all the cooking, and you don’t need to stand at the stove stirring for 30-50 minutes.
- Step 1: Sauté Onion and Garlic. Warm a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and sauté the aromatics for about 2-3 minutes, or until they soften and become semi-translucent.
- Step 2: Prepare the Slow Cooker. Lightly spray a slow cooker with cooking spray, then add the arborio rice along with the cooked onion and garlic to the bottom.
- Step 3: Add the Other Ingredients. Pour in 3 cups of broth, 1 cup of butternut squash, and add the sage.
- Step 4: Let It Cook. Secure the lid on the slow cooker and allow the risotto to cook on high for 2-3 hours. Then stir in the remaining butternut squash and cook for another hour. Add more broth as needed if the risotto appears dry.
- Step 5: Add the Parmesan. Once the rice is tender, stir in the grated Parmesan.
- Step 6: Serve. Portion the risotto into bowls and top with more Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and sage leaves. Pair with a main dish like my oven-fried salmon for dinner.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Skip the Sauté: Raw onions stay sharp when added straight to the crockpot, but sautéed onions are sweeter and mellow. It’s worth it to sauté the onions to achieve the right flavor for your risotto.
- Monitor the Risotto Closely: Slow cookers all cook at different temperatures, so the first few times you make this recipe, you’ll need to closely monitor your risotto after the first 2 ½ hours of cooking. The risotto will turn mushy if it overcooks. Once you learn the best cook time for your slow cooker, you won’t need to monitor it as closely.
- Storage Directions: Keep leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it over low or medium-low heat in a pot on the stove with a splash of broth.
Serving Suggestions
Butternut squash risotto with sage is the perfect fall side dish! It captures the flavors of fall in a creamy and decadent risotto that’s only 150 calories. This is the perfect side for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a fall dinner party. The best part is that you won’t need ot stand at the stove stirring it, so you can cook your other dishes at the same time.
- Butternut squash and risotto taste amazing paired with seafood. Try my healthy lobster recipe for a protein-packed main dish to go with it.
- Bright lemon pairs well with creamy dishes because the acidity cuts through the richness. Try serving this risotto with healthy lemon chicken for a perfectly paired meal.
- If you’re making this easy butternut squash risotto for the holidays, try it with a side of my low-calorie green bean casserole. My Instant Pot turkey breast also takes the stress out of preparing a turkey for the holidays.
Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe FAQs
It’s best fresh, but it reheats well and can be made a day ahead if needed. Cool it and refrigerate in an airtight container, then warm on the stove or in the microwave with a few splashes of warm broth, stirring until creamy. Add the parmesan and crispy sage after reheating. For a party, it can sit on the slow cooker’s warm setting for up to 1 hour, with a splash of broth stirred in just before serving.
The rice keeps absorbing liquid after it’s done, so it thickens fast. If needed, you can add more broth. Stir in a splash at a time at the end until the risotto spreads slowly on a plate. Serve right away. It will thicken during storage so I find leftovers always need extra broth when reheated.
More Low-Calorie Crock Pot Recipes
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Butternut Squash Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 tbsp Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Arborio Rice
- 3-4 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 2 cups Butternut Squash, cut into ½-inch cubes (divided)
- 1 tsp Rubbed Sage
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan plus more for serving
- 2-3 Sage leaves
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, onion and garlic. Stir and sauté 2-3 minutes until just translucent.
- Spray a slow cooker lightly with cooking spray then add the rice, cooked onion and garlic, 3 cups of the broth, 1 cup of the butternut squash and rubbed sage to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high 2 to 3 hours. I recommend checking at 2 ½ hours as all slow cookers are a bit different.
- Stir the remaining butternut squash into the slow cooker and cook one hour more. Add more broth as needed.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in the parmesan and serve. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan on top with sage leaves and cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Onions stay sharp and pungent-tasting if you add them to the slow cooker raw, so be sure to sauté them first.
- After 2.5 hours, monitor your risotto to avoid overcooking it. Every crock pot is different, and some may cook faster or slower than mine.
- Finished risotto should be tender with a little bite, not mushy.
- Each serving is approximately 1/2 cup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This healthy risotto recipe comes together easily in the slow cooker and the butternut squash adds so much creamy texture and flavor.