Baked Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Carrots

If you're looking for a hearty, flavorful side dish that's easy to make, here it is!  Add some rotisserie chicken and it's a main dish.  The basic recipe is fine, but you could get creative with herbs and spices.

4 servings

12 calculated points

Roussanne

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ small white or yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as white button, cremini and shiitakes, halved if small, quartered if large (about 7 cups total)

Kosher salt and black pepper

10 ounces pearl barley (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 medium carrot, very thinly sliced into rounds (about 1 cup)

2 ounces grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms start to soften, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in barley, carrot and 4 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, transfer to the oven and bake until barley is tender and chewy and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

3. Stir in Parmesan and the butter until slightly thickened and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with chives and additional Parmesan, to taste.