Baked Risotto

Baked Risotto on Freedom Day in sunny South Africa. Just the dish you need when you do want to serve risotto, but don't want to stand stirring until cooked. The stirring part has always put me off, but then I found this recipe in the May issue of the Essentials magazine...Baked Risotto! Fantastic! No mess, no fuss. Having guests - they would think that you have been on your feet for hours trying to prepare supper.
The original recipe is made as a vegetarian dish using goats cheese, but I made a few minor changes and served it with lovely Kassler Chops and a green salad.

Recipe:
500gr mixed mushrooms, sliced and soaked in hot water
4 sun dried tomatoes, sliced and soaked with the mushrooms
300gr risotto rice
1 chopped onion
2 to 3 cups of chopped butternut
olive oil and blob of butter
1L chicken stock
Flat leave parsley
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil and butter in a pan and gently cook the onion. Add the mushrooms and tomato and fry for about 2 mins. Add rice and mix well.
Heat oven to 180˚C. Transfer risotto to a shallow oven proof dish. Add butternut, stock and mushroom water. Cover the dish (I used foil) and bake for +- 40 mins. until rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from oven. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve with some flat leaf parsley.
Cook's notes:
I used powdered stock - I like shortcuts. I might add a dash of cream next time around or some grated Parmesan cheese to give it a creamier taste. But that is what it's all about...Try and try again.