I love me some Risotto – how ’bout you? It amazes me how you can take a simple ingredient like rice, add a glug of wine & a few gratings of cheese (plus a bit of this and that) and turn it into a gourmet meal – no make that a gourmet experience – because you get to drink the rest of the wine! Plus plus! This is a marvelous recipe for Risotto – Ham & Parmesan Risotto Instant Pot or Stove Top Version.
This creamy, dreamy Ham & Parmesan Risotto has especially humble roots because it’s made from leftovers! Yep, leftovers from my Pre-Easter Not Your Father’s Root Beer & Bourbon Glazed Ham, and a few odds and ends from the fridge.
Pre Easter (should that just be Prester?) because I’m a good food blogger this Easter & got my ham recipe out ahead of the holiday so you can see it & make it if you want. So while you’re thinking about ham, I’m already thinking leftovers!! I love leftovers & have a special post about my Ham leftovers called “12 Days of Ham.”
I’m always chasing after something new and wonderful to do with Ham, though, and so was born this lovely Ham & Parmesan Risotto. Risotto is like a blank slate for leftovers. I mean, really, who could guess leftovers were at all involved in this gorgeous dish!

See how I cooked Not Your Fathers Root Beer & Bourbon Glazed Ham on a rack so it would be easy to get the drippings before it was glazed.
In the meantime, I have BIG news – this Ham & Parmesan Risotto was done in the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot does cook differently than my stove-top pressure cooker, so there’s a learning curve. Now, the Instant Pot as a pressure cooker has pretty much the same positives and negatives as my stove top pressure model. If you’re thinking of getting an Instant Pot, read what Melissa Clark of the New York Times has to say. One thing a pressure cooker does very well? Risotto!
I’m posting this Risotto with Ham and Parmesan recipe with instructions on how to make it in a pan on the stove-top as well as how to make it in the Instant Pot. How about you? Have you jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet?
Ham & Parmesan Instant Pot Risotto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter (or either or) for sauteing
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups of Arborio Rice (can be substituted with “Short Grain White Pearl” rice)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups of stock: chicken, vegetable or ham broth (ham should be cut 1/2 and 1/2 with water) plus a little additional if needed at the end
- 2 cups finely chopped ham
- 1 – 2 cups any additional fresh or cooked vegetables to stir in at the end, a few peas, sliced cherry tomatoes, cooked corn, green onion, etc.
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to stir in, additional for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon butter
Set the Instant Pot to Saute and pre-heat. Add the olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter and onion, stirring now and then for several minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the rice and lightly toast, stirring often, until the color changes from white to translucent around the edges and then continue for a minute or two more, stirring, until a few of the grains are starting to look golden. Have your wine at the ready in case the rice needs the addition quickly if it looks as if it’s going to far.
Add the white wine and slowly stir until the wine is fully evaporated. Add the broth of choice, immediately close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Set for five to six minutes at high pressure. (I personally like to set for five and heat it a bit at the end if it needs to be cooked a bit more. At six, there is a little risk of it being overdone.)
Turn off and quickly release the pressure,
- If the risotto is done to your liking, immediately remove the inner pot (so the rice doesn’t continue to cook from the heat.) The risotto should look just a little wet.
- If the risotto is still too wet for your taste, keep the pan in the Instant Pot and set to saute, stirring until the Risotto reaches the right tenderness & consistency, then remove the pot immediately. Again, the risotto should look a little wet.
- If risotto seems too dry (it should flow like lava and will thicken upon standing) stir in additional stock.
Add the ham and any additional ingredients (see list of suggestions in recipe list or add another favorite) and stir for about 30 seconds. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid.
Taste for salt and pepper, add if desired, then add the butter and Parmesan and quickly stir in. The Parmesan will thicken the Risotto more, and if it seems too dry, add a bit more of the additional stock.
Serve immediately on warmed plates with additional Parmesan sprinkled over the top.
Note: the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water.
Ham & Parmesan Risotto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter (or either or) for sauteing
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups of Arborio Rice (can be substituted with “Short Grain White Pearl” rice)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups of hot stock: chicken, vegetable or ham broth (ham should be cut 1/2 and 1/2 with water) plus a little additional if needed at the end
- 2 cups finely chopped ham
- 1 – 2 cups any additional fresh or cooked vegetables to stir in at the end, a few peas, sliced cherry tomatoes, cooked corn, green onion, etc.
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to stir in, additional for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon butter
In a 3 or 4 quart heavy saucepan or Dutch oven,
Add the olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter and onion, stirring now and then for several minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the rice and lightly toast, stirring often, until the color changes from white to translucent around the edges and then continue for a minute or two more, stirring, until a few of the grains are starting to look golden. Have your wine at the ready in case the rice needs the addition quickly if it looks as if it’s going to far.
Add the white wine and stir until the wine is fully evaporated, slowly stirring. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 3 cups of the hot stock and stir, and continue to stir now and then (once every three of four minutes) for about 12 minutes until most of the stock is absorbed and the bottom is nearly dry.
Now add more stock in 1/2 cup increments to the risotto, stirring gently for about 3 minutes until the liquid is nearly absorbed. Repeat until rice is al dente, an additional three or four times. This should take about 15 minutes. (If your rice is absorbing the stock faster or slower than three minutes, adjust your heat.)
When finished, remove from heat. You want to end up with al dente rice and a creamy sauce – it will thicken a bit more when you add the Parmesan.
Gently stir in the ham, any vegetables, salt & pepper to taste, Parmesan cheese, and the butter. Add additional stock if it needs to be moistened. Serve immediately.
Note: the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water.
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Want to buy an Instant Pot on the cheap?
Check Craig’s list, the paper, your second-hand stores, and consignment shops. Many people buy appliances like this thinking they are going to be the “be all to end all” and then try them once or twice (or never use them) and get rid of them. If you’re not using an item like this, it takes a considerable amount of space to store it in.
Ask friends and/or relatives if they have one they no longer want. After the initial honeymoon phase, they might not be so attached. Perhaps they’ll gift it to you or sell it to you for a decent price.
Buy on Amazon, new, used or refurbished. Wait until Amazon has their Prime day or shop on their Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales.
Locate food bloggers who regularly use the Instant Pot and post about it. They may have giveaways or special deals where you purchase an Instant Pot by clicking through their links to a retailer. You’ll get a discount, they’ll get a small piece of the action. Win Win.
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I’ll be sharing this post at Angie’s Fiesta Friday! I see some truly marvelous posts from other food bloggers there already!!
Helpful Links:
If you came to this recipe looking for a way to use ham, be sure to check out the link below for 12 Days of Ham. You might want to see the sister post for 12 Days of Turkey, too.

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