Sausage, apple, and butternut squash risotto

This was one of those experiments that turned out super tasty...

Ingredients:
1 lb. Bob Evans maple sausage (bulk roll) - if you substitute, make sure it's GF
1 granny smith apple - cored and chopped into 1/2" cubes
1 med. sweet onion, chopped
2c. butternut squash, (rind and seeds removed), chopped into 1/2" cubes
1/4 t. ground sage
1/4 - 1/2 c. hard cider* (or substitute 2T. apple cider and more water)
5c. hot water
1 gluten free chicken bouillon cube or liquid (TJ's low sodium liquid)
2c. Arborio or other risotto rice

Heat the water in a saucepan. Add the bouillon to the hot water and dissolve. Keep broth mixture warm.
Brown the sausage in a skillet or dutch oven and drain the fat.
Add the chopped onion and stir until translucent.
Add the chopped squash, apple, sage, and 1/2 cup of the broth mixture. Cook about 10 minutes or until the squash is tender and most of the water has cooked away.
Add the rice and stir until well coated.
Add @1 cup of the broth mixture and stir until absorbed.
Add the hard cider (or apple cider/water) and stir until absorbed.
Continue adding the broth 1 c. at a time until it is all absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. It should be firm to the bite - not mushy (al dente). If you have used all the broth and the rice is not fully cooked, add more water as needed - 1/4c. at a time until absorbed and rice is al dente.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

* most hard ciders are gluten free - but check to be sure - Hornsbys & Harpoon ciders are NOT gluten free.