Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I thought you all would appreciate a meal prep that is a bit lighter considering we’ve all been eating quite a bit these days! This is a shortcut risotto, using already-cooked rice instead of the traditional slow addition of broth, which makes it far more practical to batch for meal prep. Mashing half the butternut squash into the rice gives it that same creamy texture a real risotto would have.

Mashing part of the squash into the rice is the trick that gets a risotto-like creaminess without standing over the stove stirring broth in for thirty minutes. Sage is the classic pairing with butternut squash, and a little goes a long way.

This is a fully vegetarian dish that still feels rich and substantial, thanks to the Parmesan and butter. A splash of milk when reheating brings the texture back to that same creamy consistency.

The recipe card has the full ingredient breakdown and roast time for all ten portions. Let everything cool before sealing the containers, then refrigerate what you'll eat within four days and freeze the rest. This risotto is one of the easier ways to fit real comfort food into a meal-prep week.

Nutrition note: This is general food information, not individualized medical or nutrition advice.

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

YIELD

10 portions

ESTIMATED NUTRITION

415 calories • 13g protein • 61g carbs • 13g fat per portion

What I really like about this recipe is that it gets risotto's creamy texture without the usual thirty minutes of stirring.

Ingredients

• 10 cups butternut squash, cubed

• 10 cups cooked arborio rice

• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

• 2 cups milk

• 4 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Roast the butternut squash at 400°F for 25 minutes, until tender; mash half of it.

2. Warm the milk with butter in a pot; stir in the rice, mashed squash, and Parmesan until creamy.

3. Fold in the remaining cubed squash and sage.

4. Let the food cool briefly, then divide it evenly among 10 airtight meal-prep containers.

Meal-prep notes: Refrigerate promptly and use refrigerated portions within 3–4 days; freeze any portions you will not eat in that window. Reheat gently, adding a splash of milk to loosen the risotto. Nutrition is estimated per portion.